Mummy Lover
by JeffC FTW
Summary: A six-hundred-year-old mummy is unearthed from one of the holiest mountains of Japan. He is eventually freed from his seal curse and rejuvenates, tries to live like a normal human, but his chance at happiness may not be...
1. The Discovery on Mt Yudono

**When I was a kid, I'd been in love with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and one of my favorite episodes was "Inca Mummy Girl", a filler episode involving a 500-year-old Inca princess rising from her tomb and falling in love with one of the protagonists - but the drop is that she constantly needs to feed on innocent souls to continue living. This terrified me but also fascinated me that it was in my adaptation genes to draw the story and tell it to class - and they applauded me for it. :')**

 **A fond memory which brings me to the present.**

 **Rewatching the episode, I learned the mummy was based off a real Incan maiden known as "Juanita", and the appearances are similar. I also just watched a documentary on a fourteen-year-old girl (a separate but similar case) who was found in 1999 atop the tallest active volcano in the Andes, and her story is so tragic and tear-jerking, but they all are. Facts from the documentary are pivotal in this story. I've chosen not to say everything simply because I want you all to be drawn, intrigued and surprised. ;) Enjoy this supernatural ride, but if anyone is fainthearted regarding the processes of mummification in any country, proceed with caution.**

 **I own NOTHING of Naruto, the historical facts and documentaries of mummification, or any of the entertainment media on mummies.**

Chapter One

The Discovery on Mt. Yudono

Yudono Mountain was one of the tallest of the three most holy of Japan, being only in between the highest of Gassan and the smallest and most accessible that was Haguro. All three having a long history of worship, being opened by a prince fourteen hundred years ago who in return hid here in exile when his father, the emperor of the time, was killed, devoting his life to religion...and that was when the deities of each mountain of the names became known. Hence the Three Mountains of Dewa, which was now known as the prefecture of Yamagata.

It was Yudono, the most sacred, that the finding was uncovered miles away from the shrine, near the highest point and in cold weather, just before the winter season would kick in. This was the season when the snowfall would become excessive, preventing visitors from going in and residents going out - even for long periods of time.

However, it was by fate that Tsunade Senju's excavation team had begun to set out after about two dozen mummifications were found in history, all of which had endured the self-mummification process of _sokushinbutsu_ which was practiced from the 1100's and eventually outlawed in the early twentieth century. The details of the process were so gruesome that the fainthearted literally passed out or would have died from shock.

Tsunade had bled, sweat and cried with her team which had been put together when she was still an intern, and after seven years of employment and studying the various mummified monks who were gradually discovered over the last few decades, she began to believe _another_ mummy was hidden in one of the blessed sierras. One that hadn't been found yet. The source had come from her lover and colleague who had been in the mountains scouting, getting the map and coordinates out to her personally by messenger. This was Dan's life in the wilderness: always braving the most hazardous environments for the dead, priceless artifacts for the museum...but this time he died for it. _Lack of oxygen._ He'd written that his life was growing short, saying not much because everyone knew what it was like up in Mt. Yudono, and at the end of the short letter, he labeled the coordinates of his last location and the possible resting place, or if there was no mummy, then some antiquity never seen before, which was going to be what he'd risked his neck for as a waste.

His body was brought back by the time Tsunade was finally given permission after days of demanding from the museum board. She'd been called out on her grief and "lack of sense", and her temper nearly cost her the opportunity. She would NOT let Dan's life be for nothing.

Eventually, the board relented, although she didn't have a lot of time. The point was miles away from the Yudono Shrine, which she'd been to as a teenager with Dan and friends, although her new chance to be at the destination would be for another purpose - and the winter season was on the horizon. They had to work fast, even when a snowstorm was coming. The ground would be frozen, then three or four months of delay would prolong the agony...until on the second day of being at the dig site, away from the vigilant eyes of the priests and residents of the shrine, Tsunade could shed a tear of joy and close on the fact the man she loved would rest in peace.

In the distance, one of the boys shouted the word: _"Mīra_ _!"_

 _A mummy. Thank you, Dan._

There, inside a six-feet-deep, seven-foot-long pit which was found on GPS satellite and dug up by four people, was a _casket_ of faded wood, but inside was a long bundle wrapped in old cloth, untied and free to be removed, although appearances were deceiving. One of the four helicopters was loaded with the casket and its contents. There was no time to stop and examine the site any further because the temperature was increasing as the first day of the season neared, although it didn't appear there would be anything outside the coffin; everything was inside.

The specimen had to be taken back to the lab immediately. Time was of the essence because it had been in the arid, frigid environment for possibly centuries. It was highly likely it wouldn't last in warm air for a long period of time. Hence the wrappings couldn't be removed, since they'd clearly been covering the subject for centuries and were likely a part of him or her.

When they had the coffin in the lab of the Konoha Museum of Antiquities, the wrapped remains were carefully removed and loaded onto the examination table - and that was when they found the items inside that rattled slightly but didn't break. Inside and attached to the head of the specimen's casket was a scroll written in ancient text.

An ebony-hilted katana was in its case, along with a vase painted with a scenery depicting an epic battle. In addition was an empty flask of what once had been water. All of them were perfectly preserved, which was an archaeologist's dream come true.

But the biggest surprise came when the coverings were finally removed from the human figure that Dan had sacrificed himself for.

"Tsunade," Orochimaru whispered to her from the opposite side of the table, "it appears as if it is only sleeping."

~o~

 _Twelve years later_

All four of them grew up together, very close, but one of them went off to do something for himself while they stayed behind in Konoha because it was home to them. And ironically enough, the last three were accepted as interns at the Konoha Museum of Antiquities, which was the place they loved going to as children, although Naruto was so rambunctious in nature that it was so embarrassing to keep him at their sides. It was his energy that made him enjoy going out and finding what was hinted being out there, across the globe and in their own town and country - but it wasn't all that exciting as thought originally, because that meant trouble with the governments as well as different environments to suffer. You had to always be ready.

Sakura remembered nearly burning when she found herself in the deserts of Suna regarding a sand pit which housed a lost civilization: a miniature village that was compared to the large present. It was currently on display in its native museum, where it belonged. That had been her, Naruto and Hinata's first dig. Days, weeks out there in blistering summer sun, plenty of water and tents, and Naruto complaining for the majority of it. Although his girlfriend handled it gracefully.

Sakura was glad she dropped out of medical school to choose something like this, although her mother told her that she was making a big mistake in not doing what the family did - or rather, what _she_ could never do.

It was an honor to have Tsunade Senju, one of the most leading archaeologists today, as her and her friends' employer and mentor, almost like a mother because she never married or had children of her own. She tended to be impatient, quick to anger, but also nurturing.

Which brought all three of them to the present, which was a month after the finding of the lost model of Suna. It involved a finding Tsunade discovered over a decade ago near the top of Mt. Yudono, hours away from Konoha, and brought back. All was originated from her colleague and sweetheart who died from the lack of oxygen and cold before he could get back. In short, Tsunade thought it her responsibility to take care of this one great treasure.

Hinata had paled the first time she saw the mummy, Naruto's eyes bulged, but Sakura looked upon the remains with something akin to sorrow. Her stomach sank. Now was the first time they were seeing the corpse in _person_ , which had been on display since they were kids gazing at it from the other side of the glass.

The specimen was a young man, his exact age unclear. But his dark hair was long enough to probably go down his back; in the front of his scalp were light hints of gray. His skin was dark olive, no imperfections present. His expression was very peaceful, like he was simply asleep. "He looks like he just died yesterday!" Naruto had said the first time. "Or better yet, like he could wake up any time now!"

Indeed, the mummy looked so alive. Perfectly frozen in time. When he was first brought in, they were told by the woman herself, he was so delicate that cutting through him for an autopsy was out of the question. So they put him in cryo-preservation with little information as possible. What they did get of him was that he was likely a member of the _Uchiha clan._

Hinata gasped when she found herself fixated on the artifacts that had been put on display beside their owner. "It...it can't be," she whispered. "The Uchiha clan existed barely six centuries ago. There's no artifacts, no solid evidence in the archives, only written battles in the history books."

Tsunade nodded, a distant look in her honey-colored eyes. "The rival clan that my family fought against. The history of conflict, the bloodshed, and then one day, the Uchiha vanished during the night. Bodies were never found; it was like they just disappeared," she said absently, before her tone hardened. "But here we have the first Uchiha mummy in hundreds of years. Dan died for it, and because of that and the fact the Senju and this one's people were bitter enemies, I feel it is my responsibility to care for him. And that is why you three are here."

"You can count on us, Granny!" Naruto declared with a beam, earning rolling eyes from the woman herself and from Sakura. "So, what do we do now?"

"Tonight we are going to take him to the scans, without having to take him apart on the operating table." And she meant a computing scan. If they found anything new with the CT scan, then they would be able to find more behind his background. This mummified young man held many dark secrets to a lost culture.

 **I don't know how to keep things short in terms of the story of the Inca Maiden and the other two with her (all three of them called the "Children of Llullaillaco"), but the team who suffered in searching for them endured a similar experience like Tsunade's when they found the mummy on Yudono. And the unwrapping of their finding was one of the most powerful experiences ever, for they thought she was probably still alive, just frozen in time and would wake after they thawed her out.**

 **Reviews appreciated. :D Oh, and if anyone is interested, I'm also doing another tale of the supernatural, "Allure of Darkness". Both this chapter and the first of that one have gone up on this day, Valentines Day. What a way to celebrate.**


	2. The Autopsy: Part One

**Over a MONTH since I put the first chapter up. It's usually days or a couple weeks, but never a month.**

 **Man I have been so busy it isn't even funny. Not only because this one needs care for obvious reasons, but also because of other fics I just finished and another near completion. "Allure of Darkness" will also need my attention very soon.**

 **Rest assured, they always get done. :D**

Chapter Two

The Autopsy: Part One

Naruto Uzumaki loved his life, and if he said so himself, flying through school years and learning the origins of priceless artifacts was a dream come true. Although it could be very troublesome when days would turn into weeks, to months and on. It was such a bother to deal with the higher-ups even, but it was never over until he would say it was over.

Sakura would sometimes tell him that if he broke the law, he would be in deep. That also meant the need to avoid a lecture from dear old dad who was chief of police. He had to not think about what would happen if his dad heard that his only son had become a delinquent.

His mom died giving birth to him, which left him and his father with each other. Although, he'd thought that being someone who dug up bones and remnants of lost civilizations might not have been realistic, so when he was seventeen, he thought he'd seen the big picture. He never thought of anything for his life other than seeing Dad pick up bad guys, to protect both his son and this town, although Minato said while he was glad his son looked up to him like that, this job wasn't what he thought it was. He had been in training for almost a year, and it was then, after all the grueling uses of a gun and apprehending that he found himself at the bottom no matter what he did. Naruto found himself disappointed in himself, but his dad was very nice and understanding, supporting him.

He tried shooting targets but always managed to miss the intended, but that wasn't all. Once he accidentally shot a colleague and fellow officer, which he got a severe lecture for. Now THAT had been one time he was really scared of facing Minato over.

Though that was when Dad told him, after the mess was settled, that he was better off doing something that didn't involve guns and trouble figuring out who the possible perpetrator was, although he suggested forensics would be more exciting, if not being on the field a lot.

That was when Naruto decided he wanted to be an archaeologist like he used to dream about. He was happy he got into college for it, surprising his best friend Sakura who had gotten in after dropping out of medical school which had been her mother's dream - though Mama Dearest wasn't as lenient as Minato was. Naruto's longtime girlfriend, Hinata, joined in. All three of them were getting into this with the young-looking old lady who ran the museum. What he knew only because of Hinata, whose father was one of the biggest benefactors for the Konoha Museum, had told him the granny's lover who died nearly atop Mt. Yudono - one of Japan's trio of holy mountains, the largest of all - had been the one to find a _mummy_ near the topmost of the peak. The tip of every mountain in the world was always low on oxygen, cold to the innermost bones, which meant you could NEVER stay up there too long.

And he'd been in the scorch of Suna for _eight weeks._ He'd been told something like this would happen in every search for a rumored find, but he thought it was all just stories. A mistake he swore he would never repeat.

All of which brought him to a significance in his life when his body and mind started changing at a certain age.

He saw that guy behind the glass with Sakura and Hinata when they were all twelve. Sasuke had no interest in these things, but he preferred other aspects of culture that didn't involve dead bodies. He said they made him think about those nightmares he had his entire life.

The mummy, whom the staff named the "Uchiha Warrior", was the first one he ever saw. Hinata was faint around the dead, so she examined any weapons, pottery or clothing items, even preserved food that came with the body. The self-mummified monks that were found came with few as possible. This one, however, was found outside the shrine unlike the others. And he was the first _Uchiha_ found, which was a hell of a groundbreaker!

Naruto did learn history but was stumped with it in school. The Uchiha clan was one he remembered, except there was little as possible besides their ferocity on the battlefield, their recorded winnings and losses, but during one night, they simply disappeared without a trace. Nobody knew how they died or who had done the massacre, though Naruto guessed it had to be someone - or a strong group of people in the numbers - that hated the Uchiha and thought them too dangerous to be kept alive. And at first it had been believed someone from the Senju clan - Tsunade's family - had done the job, but there was no proof. The Senju were also respected and benevolent; they were the other clan to rival the Uchiha.

 _This guy's been so important to the old lady that she now needs someone to help take care of him. Sakura could see it and made me see Tsunade has been affected by Dan's death and his finding going into her hands. Just like she hates how her family fought this one's._

If he'd been a kid again, he never would have understood except simply that she earned this just for her man. Simple, right?

Not at all. The lady would have blown her steam. She would repeat the same words that because of the ancient bloodshed between her lineage and this dead man's, she was making up for it by watching over him. This was her mission in life.

Naruto Uzumaki at first thought he needed enough information on this cadaver without a name besides his lost people, but that would be single-minded of him. Dad also said that keeping an open mind helped you make it through the streets of life.

Who was this mummy, and why was he buried out in the cold of Mt. Yudono rather than in the shrine like the various Buddhist monks that were found over the years?

He, Sakura and Hinata were all in their stations in the laboratory when they were talking about it over their bento lunches. This was after looking over the find with Tsunade, who was elsewhere now. "I-I wish you luck," Hinata told them both, bringing a shaking hand with the chopsticks holding rice around crab and vegetables to her mouth. "I'm sorry I won't be there tonight. You know how I am around dead bodies."

No, she didn't get to see the remains, but she did get to look at the artifacts which included a sword of ebony and steel, as well as a vase painted with a battle scene, and finally an empty water flask. _He must have been some great warrior, if he was named so._

Another giveaway of his identity was the ring that had not been removed from around his right ring finger - for fear of breaking even a _small_ part of his structure - made of faded silver and etched with the symbol of a fan: the _Uchiha_ fan. It was said to represent the "fanning of the flames of strength", which was the pride of the clan to tout.

For Hinata's sake, she was kept away and just reexamined the artifacts which were dated somewhere in the middle of the early 1500s. They appeared so fresh they could have been made today, which you didn't see often, his girlfriend explained.

He and Sakura had looked at this face from overhead, at the olive face with a few subtle cracks here and there, but other than that, he was _perfect_. Even his hair, with the few hints of gray in the front. "We thought he was just simply frozen asleep all this time, so we whispered to each other in case he was going to wake up," Tsunade had told them, standing close behind. Naruto could hear the nostalgia. "It was Orochimaru who pointed it out the same way as you did, Naruto."

In other words, the creepy snake-like man thought the specimen was more resting in the ice, waiting to wake up if thawed out, just like science fiction. But it didn't happen. And since ice kept him preserved rather than room temperature, no chances were to be taken. Which was why, tonight, they were taking the unnamed Uchiha warrior to the CT scan installed in the museum to look in every system he had. It was one of the latest of state of the art technology which could possibly give them more answers as to who this man might have been in life - as well as HOW he died.

The more he looked at the young man, he had to guess the guy might be his and his girls' ages. But the scans would have the answer. If Dad saw this the way his son did now, he was in for the clenching of the gut like Naruto was feeling. And Sakura, the tough cookie she was, looked like she was trying not to shed a tear herself as she phoned Orochimaru from the landline in this part of the lab. The man was now in charge of the CT scans as he was with the chemistry aspects.

 _As if the sight of this guy isn't bad enough._ He gulped when he looked at the thing which had NEVER been removed besides that ring around the finger, with the shining weapon and pots that were strategically placed with him.

To look at that Buddhist text at the head of the coffin made his blood freeze and his flesh creep. It made him think about those movies he grew up with, when the mummy came back to life via the scroll read aloud, or a seal broken.

 _But that won't happen. That mumbo-jumbo doesn't exist in real life. If it did, then it's just ancient history..._

~o~

The Uchiha warrior lived at least six hundred years ago, so that was one question down. What would come next was _how_ he possibly died.

A common mummification process here in Japan that existed until the early 1900s was _sokushinbutsu_ ; it was banned because people started seeing it as an extreme form of suicide. The monks who practiced it believed that by "mortifying the flesh", they achieved enlightenment as a divine entity. Before their deaths, they asked their students to handle their last testaments as well as to have themselves buried in the lotus position, surrounded by wood, paper or even lime, finished with brick - later exhumed after three years at best. These preserved corpses would then be surrounded by gold and painted frames, put on display as an example for anyone else.

It sounded beautiful, didn't it? But the saying goes: _the more beautiful it is, the more horrific it is._ It made Sakura Haruno's gooseflesh rise and her heart slow its beats.

And what bothered her most of all was, if this man mummified himself, why was he out in the open like the Incas in their mountains?

That night, when the temperatures were at their lowest, the Uchiha man was taken out of his coffin which was within the glass cryogenic chamber for the CT scans. Sakura was just as excited as Naruto was - but their superior, Tsunade, was moreso because of all these years with knowing enough but not everything. This man was rarely taken out because he was so fragile. Although Orochimaru assured that with this new device of theirs, the mummy was out of harm's way.

The subject was carefully put on the stretcher that would slide under the green light which took in every inch of him. It was funny to think about, but he was the _oldest_ outpatient to be put under any medical/forensic scan in the world.

Not only did Orochimaru handle the scans and examination of chemicals and bodily fluids, but he had studied mysterious causes of deaths since the start of the last half of his life. He gestured to the screen which showed the internals of the body, as well as the layers of muscle and skin to the tiniest detail.

"One of the key questions is how old this youth is, and one of many ways to determine the human age post-mortem is based on their teeth," he said as he brought his fingers down to the touchscreen panels to bring a close-up of the patient's jaws on the screen. "Take a look..."

And there she and Naruto were presented with every single tooth present; what was distinguished out of all of them was the presence of the third molars, or wisdom teeth. Adults aged seventeen to twenty-five had the tooth eruption specifically there - which meant that the teeth entering the mouth became more visible - and generally the number of wisdom teeth amounted to four, but it was also possible to have none. This information in mind, he was definitely a young adult.

Now onward to the bones themselves. Height depended on the fusion of epiphyseal cartilage, which was the growth plate and the connective tissues as the union between the bone, blood vessels, tendons and ligaments. Even when puberty ended, the fusion was complete. Although, mainly determined in terms of the long bones, growth ceased when girls were eighteen and boys twenty-one years old.

By the looks of it, the long bones had fully developed by the time of his death, revealing him to possibly be _exactly_ twenty-one.

"He's...our age," Naruto croaked out, reaching to wipe tears forming at the corners of his eyes. "I mean, he _was_."

And that made things harder than ever to even be around this guy. Her eyes misted, fogged over her vision as she gazed down at the face which was placed back into the freezer he came in, the records taken in the machine. The relaxed features, the perfect black kimono with the inner maroon linings, the fresh raven hair misted with some grays in the scalp, and the fact he was only over five feet tall. This had been someone with his whole life ahead of him, and it ended before he even got to live to the fullest. Her heart wrenched with her other guts. She had to clear her throat to get him to follow and pick up with the exploration.

With the Incas of South America, who were also veiled in mystery, their mummies - primarily young teenagers and children because they were purer than adults as offerings to the mountain gods - came with a rare number of perfectly preserved like this one. Many came to die as the result of blunt blades and the use of drugs.

However, there were no broken bones in this man, so violent trauma was out of the question.

"So that means if this guy was buried out in the open instead of in the temple," Naruto said, "then that warrants more suspicions than the monks."

Orochimaru hummed, yellow-gold eyes lighting up with possible theories. "Indeed, Naruto. I have spent almost twenty years investigating suspicious deaths, as you say, but there is no sign of manhandling with this fellow," he said with a furrow of the brow. "No fractures, no significant damage that could have caused his death."

Which meant that, based on the steps of self-mummification, since here in Japan it had once been a part of their lives, this one could have gone through the rigorous steps and a certain number of years to get to where he was now, although he appeared to be more humanistic than the skeleton-like holy men on display. He was NOT placed in the lotus position, framed with gold. He'd been laid down in a faded casket in traditional Christian sense, then wrapped and put in the ground within an unmarked spot. There had been no testaments, right?

His sword was buried with him along with a water flask and one vase painted with a battle that must have been the one he fought in, or maybe just his clan.

If all of this was the case, he couldn't have been a holy man. This was becoming very clear, with more findings that soon came. He'd been buried in a desolate place in the mountains, distances from the temple, so it was ruled out he died within those walls. Where the process of freezing kept him intact all these centuries, preserving the body the way it was today. The low oxygen level played its part.

Which brought them to Orochimaru leading the way in determining how the young man's body got to the place it was found.

"Well, he was laid down like a typical western dead man," Naruto pointed out, "but how could it take so long to put him in the coffin and then take hours or so to find the grave, leave him there and let the cold do its work? It's hard to move bodies anywhere, even if you commit murder."

He was right; the process of corpse location was challenging. "Indeed," Orochimaru agreed. "They are NOT simple things to manhandle. Sakura-kun, take a look at this." He stepped to the side to let her look at the next area of the body he pulled up on the console.

It was impossible for the Uchiha man to _walk_ to his burial site before his death, because _sokushinbutsu_ required being still at all times, which meant he had to have been carried there. But before death or after? Putting him in the position he was in now had to be a short period afterwards, because that was when the stiffening of the muscles, called _rigor mortis_ , began to take place, so he really must have died and was put in his coffin afterwards.

Or if that wasn't it, could there be an alternative? Like he was so weak he couldn't put up any fight and was laid to rest prematurely?

The new theory came in a heartbeat: it was possible burying him alive had finished the job. He was close to death enough that keeping him in the open wasn't part of the plan. In other words, he really did die near where he was buried.

People who messed up in the process of self-mummification ended up ruined like other corpses around the world, which meant they never achieved their enlightenment.

The warrior's demise was evident that it was likely forced on him, especially because of his young age, but that still didn't make sense. Did he kill himself because of his clan, or did someone make him do it?

 **A certain character we know and love stands 68.976 inches (in Part One anyway), which I struggled with math on and estimated to be over five feet, but taller a little than Sakura and Naruto. XD**

 **Information, again, from the Inca Maiden documentary, long bone structure, and a little more on the mysterious Incas themselves. It's horrible and sad they offered children up in times of desperation and troubles. :(**

 **Have you been able to figure WHO the mummy is? :D REVIEW.**


	3. The Autopsy: Part Two

**The tale of a mummy is so exciting that I am really getting the hang of it, but since the summary gives away what is going to happen, having a LIVING corpse walking around and trying to live a normal life is really gonna take the turn. That's where I get my work cut out for me. Maybe it'll be so much more than what I did in "Merman's Quest".**

 **I have no idea if anyone did a living mummy story for Naruto before, although I saw (but never read) Naruto stories crossed with The Mummy, which star Brendan Fraser.**

Chapter Three

The Autopsy: Part Two

"I'd say it was force."

She and Orochimaru looked at him in surprise. He really was quick to jump to a conclusion every now and then. "Oh, yeah, I know that look on your faces," he said, holding both his hands up, "but will you just think about it for a second? Those other guys before him were monks in old age who took almost ten years to reach the way they are now - maybe in the afterlife if it really exists. My dad always said never assume anything too lightly, so I am saying he was coerced into doing this."

What he was implying was that it had to be _murder_.

"...highly likely, Naruto," Orochimaru answered with a brief tap to his temple. "But before we delve too deeply into that conclusion, it is best we carry on."

And so they did. Hypothermia could have also been a cause of death if murder couldn't be, a likely alternative, because there were cases of people found in the position also known as "sleeping death". The freezing technique was a painless way of turning the body off, making you literally go to sleep. Permanently. _Since he was outdoors rather than inside, thus why he might not have achieved divinity like the monks._ His clothing could not have prevented the chill, even though people dressed this way in that period of time. Or if someone didn't lay him in, then he could have laid in himself - unless he still had someone else there with him.

However, when Sakura did the honors of looking at the scan, she enlarged the area which was both of his exposed feet for the clues to hypothermia. Frostbite in the toes was a common sign, causing the digits to fall off, but all ten - all five on each foot - were still in place, thus ruling that out.

Another form of evidence was within the stomach, particularly displaying superficial ulcers in the lining, all of which indicated he couldn't have passed away from the sleeping frozen death since all was normal...and it was there within the stomach that their attentions were grabbed.

Displayed within the warrior's stomach were nuts, roots, pine bark, seeds and the toxic _urushi_ formula - which was used for lacquerware - which was the strict diet that was known as _mokujikigyo,_ which translated to "eating a tree". Literally abstaining from any filling wheat, meats and anything worldly pleasurable. This was meager and simple, sparse and tasteless, or even a bad taste, but its purpose was to eliminate any fat within the body. But for some reason, the man retained traces of muscle which were devoid of unwanted fat to be seen. Eventually, starvation would occur, and dehydration would cause the organs to shrink, which also showed in the scans. The final result would be a preserved shell, skin and teeth and all, without need of artificial preservations that the Egyptians used, for example.

What was also present were the waste material in his bowels, which caused poor Naruto's innards to growl nothing like his stomach did when it was hungry, but because he sympathized with the man who may or may not have been driven into this.

There was also a possible way to find anything else the scans couldn't find, and that meant someone who had the best but unusual ways to determine that. The man himself was standing right here with her and her friend. "After this, I will take a few samples of his hair," Orochimaru told them. "There could be extraordinary details about his health, and even when he ate nature's gifts..." His eyes lit up with sheer excitement that sent the flesh creeping over your muscles and nerves.

Which meant that, tonight, he would be able to crack the case, analyzing the chemicals in the warrior's hair.

Sakura's imagination, her brain on overdrive with her modern medicine knowledge, went on the flow ride: _If there are any, I could name maybe other drugs we never knew about, to be prepared. Alcohol? That would be intoxication and in violation of the Buddha's path._

Naruto's eyes narrowed, scrutinizing the console screen. "Looks like I may be right after all."

Sakura laughed and slapped him on the shoulder. "Just be patient, Naruto. The machines and what's beneath the ice have the final result, not us," she reminded him, making his shoulders slump and him growl in a little frustration at not getting the answer.

Meanwhile, there was yet another clue, and it disturbed them all - maybe her mainly - when the scans picked up something on the outside of the corpse rather than inside, for once. It lay on either side of his eyes, going over in a straight line as he lay on his back. They were dried remnants of _tears._

The warrior had CRIED a minute, maybe, before he died. "Oh, God," Sakura whispered as an image of the young man laying in his coffin, shedding visible tears before he succumbed to death's call, haunted her psyche. This indicated heartbreak, sadness, and everything related. Even leaning more towards Naruto's theory.

It made you wonder what was going on in his mind, but either way, it pointed to the dark side of what could very much be what actually _happened_.

Sakura wasn't sure if she was going to be able to sleep tonight, and she wondered about her friends.

The hour was getting late. Orochimaru noticed this and chuckled, suggesting they head home now and he would finish up so they would go over tomorrow. The pink-haired student was a little disappointed, but so was her blond idiot who had wanted more. But they all needed beauty rest, just like the American Ben Franklin said.

~o~

 _So, this guy had really been thrust in against his will. When I'm right, I know I'm right no matter what anyone says._ Naruto couldn't have been more pleased with himself, but he felt more than bad for the mummy, which was an understatement.

Man, and they had so much on this dead guy whose past was also linked to Granny Tsunade! But what the hell? It was getting late anyway, and Pervy Snake himself said he was going to take care of the rest so they could catch up tomorrow. What more could there be left, he said.

Naruto begrudgingly had to agree and left with Sakura, but not before they nearly ran into Tsunade who scolded them both for not watching where they were going. "Are you two seriously leaving when we are gathering more intel on this special man of ours?" she asked with a raised eyebrow and critical eye, and voice raised because they nearly knocked the two cups of coffee she was carrying - one for herself and probably for Orochimaru.

When he met Orochimaru for the first time, he just didn't like the looks of that serpentine man, though he never did anything to him or his girls. And Tsunade had known him for the longest time. "We got so much more than you think, and Pervy Snake said he had everything we needed, but he's taken samples of the guy's hair to see if there might be any chemicals we never knew about. There's a slight chance, right?" Naruto asked with a single shrug. Sakura rolled her eyes at his nickname he gave their other superior.

However, Tsunade was much rougher. "Naruto, how many times do I have to tell you that name for Orochimaru is disrespectful? Appearances are just masks, remember?"

"Yeah, but he is still creepy no matter what. Even anyone who doesn't know him will say something worse than I do."

The older woman shook her head, clicking her tongue. "Well, good night to you both. Hinata is still at her station. I look forward to hearing from all of you tomorrow." Now her eyes lit up with excitement, almost giddy which was usually unlike her. But he knew why and didn't need to repeat anything to her, Sakura or even to himself. She was anxious to hear more about this precious find of hers that her man risked his life for. He admired this Dan Kato since he first heard the story behind the Uchiha mummy's discovery on one of the most sacred mountains of Japan. Even Tsunade's battles with the board of directors.

"Good night then, Tsunade," Sakura said with a nod of the head, leading the way, but not before hearing the other reply back before making way in the opposite direction they'd come from. Onward to pick up Hinata before heading out of here. It was Thursday night, but they were going to get a few drinks before heading to their separate flats. Him back to the one he shared with Hinata, although it was hers, really, and he was just helping pay rent.

"Well, Hinata, are you all ready?" Naruto said happily when they rounded the corner, excitement thrumming for their favorite club, but then Sakura slapped him on the shoulder to shut him up. He winced and rubbed the spot, but he saw why she did it. His girlfriend was hunched over the sword and pottery that belonged to the Uchiha Warrior. "Oh, sorry. How is it coming? Anything new?"

"Ah, yes." She looked up, opalescent eyes shimmering. "Take a look at the sword." She gently pushed it over the table in their direction. Both he and Sakura stepped close and halted when their hips made contact with the table. He wasn't experienced with identifying relics the way she was, but he knew a good piece when he saw it. And that ebony wood as well as fine silver? That was typical of royalty and nobility of war-torn periods in this country. He'd seen them all his life. This katana was measured to be the usual length, whatever it was, although not as close as the Inariyama Blade which was found in 1968. But then she pointed out the Uchiha crest carved into the end of the handle, making Naruto roll his eyes now.

 _These Uchiha really were too proud of themselves, were they?_

"It's so finely done, but not too lavish, and it could belong to nobility," Hinata explained. "He must have been the son of a samurai." She then put the blade down on the table, pulling it out of the case to show the _horinomo_ engraving, which looked like the tiger lily, symbolizing wealth and prosperity. "It's becoming a little clearer now, from the backs of our minds."

"Does Tsunade know this?" Sakura whispered, pupils dilated with whatever images were in her head.

Hinata nodded. "She even said, quote, 'A young warrior, yet he mummified himself, but WHY?' I know that achieving the path to the light is a dream come true, but to go through all of that..." she breathed, sounding like she was going to pass out. Naruto quickly hurried to her side and helped her back into her stool. She staggered a little but regained her balance. "Thank you, Naruto." She uttered a little peck of a kiss on his cheek. He grinned cheekily and gave one back to her.

Sakura watched the scene with a twinkle in her eye that reached her smile, before it fell to the flask and vase also laid out. "What about these?"

"Oh!" Hinata's eyes widened before they returned to normal. "Right. They are from here in Konoha, although he was obviously brought all the way out to Mt. Yudono. The Uchiha were indeed from this town, originally a village in the old days."

 _Story getting clearer. This guy is from this town, though it was a village in his time. He was from a clan of warriors, and the Uchiha had a feudal lord of their own, but were also all samurai of their own right. A feudal lord of their name commanded them. Either way, he was the youngest known in history to commit the self-mummification act before or after his clan's demise..._

It was crystal clear, but there was still more to find out, thanks to Orochimaru's samples he was going through tonight. What he and the girls needed now was drinks, sleep and a fresh perspective.

Hinata was then picking up the big vase in one hand, leaving Sakura to carry the flask, admiring it while she did so. Naruto was left with the great blade in its case, impressed with the weight and the power it gave him. In a sense, he knew what the Uchiha man must have felt when he wielded this on the battlefield. When he placed it back on its place in the window that was beside the same place its owner would lie, he glanced over to his girls, seeing how different they were in appearance. He'd known them both since grade school, though his feelings for them both started differently than they were now.

Sakura could very much be mistaken for a pixie, with her rosy hair - natural and not dyed, which nobody you'd know ever had - cut short to her ears and her eyes vibrant like spring grass. She once had her hair long and going a little past her shoulders, but then she hacked it herself to the way it was now when they were thirteen. Her blouse was pink, tucked neatly into black pants and heeled boots which were on the outside and reaching the knees. Gold hoops ridged like real bamboo hung in her ears. The necklace which peeked out was a marquise emerald rimmed with white crystals, a black pearl hanging at the bottom, resembling royal romance at its finest. _A birthday present from HIM before they broke up._ That bracelet around her left wrist was from Naruto himself as a simple friendship token, the crystals in a bow setting on either side going to the single round in the center. And finally, around her right middle finger, was a golden band etched with the lotus and other Buddhist symbols.

Naruto had a crush on her from the very first time he saw her, but because she had her eye on someone else - who later became her boyfriend - she saw him as an annoyance and sometimes smacked him for even talking to her. Later, when high school began, that just changed altogether because of hormones. None of them planned it. It just happened naturally.

Just like when it came to the girl he was happy to share his life with.

Hinata was a little more casual than the pinkette, with the heather gray top laced at the neckline, showing off more supple curves than the other girl. Her hips and legs were showed off by the navy blue jeans underneath gray suede boots without heels. Her ebony hair, shining with a little lavender, had bangs over her eyes and went to the middle of her back in a sleek curtain. Dainty freshwater pearls were in her ears and also around her right wrist. She was demure, sweet and shy in their childhood, when her hair was the length Sakura's was now. Although she and her father were never close for some reason, especially after her younger sister was killed. Hiashi was the chief benefactor for the museum, but father and daughter rarely crossed paths except at charity events she was forced to attend for appearances only. This Naruto hated, because it wasn't Hinata's fault what happened to Hanabi.

That aside, she stood by and admired him, and he was aware of how he was nice to her while people picked on her due to being a Hyuuga. He was always there for her and asked her to be in the circle that was him, Sakura and Sasuke. _Whose life was just as hard as hers, but not just because of his name._

The three were leaving the Konoha Antiquities Museum, going through the front door and getting washed with a chill. Temperatures always dropped at this time of night. But holding Hinata's hand made him feel happy as it always did. To go through the day with her and then end it with heading home with her...

He didn't know how to ask her anytime soon, but when they were done with school, he wanted them to get married.

~o~

 _Those three are really making progress. I'm incredibly lucky to have them with me and Orochimaru, and I am not ashamed._

Hinata was on a roll when she explained the sword could only belong to a samurai warrior, which meant the man her beloved Dan found was no ordinary man, if the sword wasn't obvious enough, or even the family symbol present in the ring or on the sword hilt. The way the weapon was crafted could belong to the upper class, many of which hung on the walls of shops or in family homes today for historical reasons.

The vase was painted with a battle of the Uchiha against the Senju. As for the water flask, he'd been drinking water, but prior to the process since it included starvation as well as _dehydration_. Yet the carrier was still buried with him along with the vase and his sword because they were clearly valuable.

Now Hinata was gone with Naruto and Sakura for the night. Orochimaru said he was going to pull an all-nighter with the samples he'd taken from the warrior's preserved hair. Ice froze everything in their place, so they were going to find something new and unexpected. If he died an unnatural death unlike the expected manner of self-mummification, then she was ready to be stricken more than she had been when he was first brought into this museum.

Tsunade was heading for Orochimaru's toxicology lab with both coffee cups in hand. She might end up here all night herself, just with him, which she was all too happy to do. Even if Naruto or Sakura never told her before she came here tonight, Orochimaru's research on the unnamed Uchiha mummy would be like he would with the death of a modern teenager or adult, and that would be the idea of drugs or alcohol in the system.

After all these years, the hard work was going to pay off, although the question that she shared with her team was most important and might not ever get answered: did he die prior or after his clan perished? The ones - or one? - who were involved with the Uchiha massacre could never be determined since six hundred years ago, there were NO clever means to keep records or locate DNA samples to identify the perpetrators. This would apply to the young warrior who was back in his cryo-preservation chamber.

"The hatchlings leave yet?" Orochimaru asked slyly, looking up and over from his microscope at a sample under the light. She laughed and marched in, setting the coffee down and sitting on a vacant stool to watch him.

"Just now. We have it all to ourselves. Hinata pieced it together he is from a clan of warriors, not that it is nothing new," Tsunade answered, taking her eyes off him as he hated it when people stared at him while he worked. She settled on letting her attention fall to the textbook she recognized as being one of the most reliable, important volumes of all the ancient clans of Japan. He was on the one with the Uchiha, which had only two and a half pages in length. They once occupied Konoha from its founding time, possessed such thirst for power and strength, getting to the point where the majority of other tribes feared them more than they feared the Senju. Tsunade was proud to have their blood; her grandfather said that if any Uchiha existed today, he would have been able to convince them that things were different, and they should reconcile any bad blood even if it was generations' old.

So that brought her to the very first mummy from this fiery, wild enemy clan who was in her care, back in his chamber and eternally sleeping. But there was no telling if anymore like him would follow. He could be the only one up in the mountain.

She found herself reading a paragraph that spoke of one of the final battles, but this had been approximately a year before the Uchiha's extinction.

 _An era where samurai clans fought the right to exist, their lords among the other, and the peasants caught in the middle whether by purpose or accident. However, the lower class possessed the right to defend their homes and even take advantage of the warfare, thus becoming ninja, whether by freelance or hire._

That basic information was just, so that was when the next bit came in.

 _The Senju and Uchiha clans were feared above all others, pitted against each other more than they were with their surrounding enemies and allies. Blood was spilled on both sides every day. Then one day, Hashirama, the feudal lord of the Senju, proposed a truce to Madara, leader of the Uchiha._

 _All of which ended in vain,_ was in Tsunade's mind, before she was interrupted by Orochimaru who said he had something. "You will not believe this," he muttered, pushing the microscope in her direction and then taking his coffee cup for himself. Steaming hot just the way he liked it, but it had begun to turn lukewarm from being untouched.

Tsunade's blood ran cold when she saw what this was: high concentration of _sake_ in the young warrior's halted bloodstream. _Alcohol in the body of one who tried to achieve divinity. Now THAT is something...suspicious..._

"Unbelievable that our scans cannot pick this up except solid matter," Orochimaru said, rubbing the back of his neck. "We didn't catch the _urushi_ , but it was commonly used in the past twenty-four mummified monks before this one, so it comes as no surprise." She had to agree when the DNA cells of the plant appeared beneath the scope.

 _He_ never _made it to the enlightened path. It's solidly confirmed. This shows what Naruto said all along._ "What did you guys find?" Tsunade demanded, looking up at her colleague and old friend who pursed his lips tightly.

"No signs of violent trauma in any part of the body, no hypothermic evidence even though he looks like it on the surface - everything is _perfect_. In his stomach are seeds and roots used in the ritual. This discovery of alcohol is _very_ startling, indeed." His brows knitted together just as hers did, the unasked question over their heads now.

Could this high amount of sake be the cause of death to the warrior?

If he didn't do this to himself, someone else must have, speeding up the process of _killing_ him. That would explain what Orochimaru brought up next: the dried tear lines on the outside of the mummy's eyes, which miraculously appeared on the close-in. He'd wept before death claimed him, which meant that he was too weak to fight off whoever put possibly a cloth carrying a heavy amount of alcohol over his mouth and nose, smothering him...

Tsunade closed her eyes, wishing she had something stronger than coffee tonight, but there was no drinking allowed on the job. _Sokushinbutsu_ took three thousand days to ten years at best, but this had been rushed because someone else thought he was taking too long to die. How old was he when he started the grueling procedure? _I would take a guess and say he must have been thirteen - and a child at that!_ How cruel could anyone be to sacrifice a young teenager, and a member of a fierce samurai clan, no less? Who probably had been made to go on the battlefield and then died when he was still in his prime.

Which meant he must have been a sacrifice for his clan, ending in vain for them either way. Or he was spared while his clan was butchered, and he couldn't bear with the disgrace so took his own life...only for another who hated him and his family to finish the job, thus denying him a place in heaven.

 _A young man of twenty-one, a warrior like the rest of his clan, underwent the long, rigorous process of turning himself into a well-preserved cadaver only to be suffocated to death by someone else's hand..._

She felt like they had found enough tonight. She wanted to just head home and go to sleep, pick up tomorrow with Naruto and the girls. Orochimaru agreed with her and volunteered to drive her home instead of letting her take a cab. Her car was so old its generator had exploded, so she had it taken in to repair until next week.

Neither of them noticed the lone figure hiding out, skillfully within the shadows and behind any great statue he could find. Waiting for them both to leave so he could slip out...

 **"Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." - Benjamin Franklin.**

 **The Inariyama Sword mentioned is a legendary Japanese weapon currently on display in Saitama Prefecture. It's much more brutal than the usual blade. XD At least that's what is said. For a Kim Possible fic I did almost two years ago, it inspired me for the weapon that appears in the story.**

 **As for the textbook paragraph, it was inspired a little by the Greatest Ninja Battle in 1581. It was during the Sengok period (1467-1598), a lawless era where feudal lords engaged in petty disputes, their samurai pitted against each other, and the poor peasants caught in the middle.**

 **As always, review. :D**


	4. The Ancient Awakening

**On a roll with "Allure of Darkness" and a couple chapters or so left with "The Shogun's Otome". Now I FINALLY bring you the new one. :D**

 **Chapter is named after the epic YouTube composition by Brunuhville.**

Chapter Four

The Ancient Awakening

Now, was this the life or what? Drinks at the bar, and of course where Hinata's cousin ran and tended. And just what Naruto looked forward to after work, but not all the time. _Can't go too crazy. Young guys and girls today? Hardly save their money, but we earned this._

And besides that: the dead man himself, no offense, needed to be off their minds for awhile, because the effect was on all of them. They'd seen him from another point of view when they were kids, but now as young adults working in the same place, to find out all the mysterious facts with the ones who watched over him for a long time was a brand new chapter. He was _murdered_ before he could finish the process the right way - and Naruto wasn't afraid to say it to himself - but the worst of the fact was that there was no way to track his killer since it was six centuries ago, as well as no DNA samples isolated until 1869.

"I don't know how I'll be able to sleep tonight," Hinata said sadly as she was behind him, and he sat in the front passenger seat beside Sakura who drove her little wagon. "Just thinking about what the man went through..."

"Same here," Sakura answered as they arrived at the place. Since it was the middle of the week, it wasn't a surprise to see the lacking of a young crowd and mostly the after-work crowd together in groups for a few drinks before going their separate ways. Just like them.

Sometimes his dad would be here, but for some reason, he didn't see Minato tonight. Naruto guessed he was working late, like he remembered when he was still a kid. However, there was the guy himself in a white muscle shirt and dark jeans, his long brunette hair down his back, partly held back by the navy headband across his forehead. It was to hide the marking that was tattooed into his skin, because in the long run, the Hyuuga secondary side of the family - in case of Neji and his late father who was Hiashi's younger brother - had the **X** marking as a binding symbol. Story behind that was it was to keep the branch under control, but nowadays it was just a simple birthmark of strange origins. Neji had it since age four, because of his uncle. As a result, he chose to have nothing to do with the Hyuuga business, but he didn't blame Hinata who also suffered as much as he did.

So here Neji was, running the place that he got a hold of in months' time after his boss was killed by a gang in the streets. He'd been angry and bitter before that his life was altered for him, but here he was doing something he chose on his own, and he seemed content.

It was also that night when Neji brought them the news: Sasuke was coming home in two days.

"Oh, that's great!" Naruto was ecstatic. Sasuke Hyuuga was his best friend since they were five years old, although at first, his attitude made things hard. The Uzumaki liked to think he got it naturally since some of the Hyuuga, except Hinata, were absorbed and proud. Although it was his adoptive sister to make him see that life didn't mean he had to have things handed to him, besides Hiashi.

"Then I get to pick him up," Hinata said, "or do you want to?" Her cousin shrugged with one shoulder.

"You know Sasuke. He doesn't ask for help even if he wants it."

The snort that sounded came from none other than Sakura who had her shot glass to her lips. Nobody expected her to say something at all, because she hardly spoke his name these days. It had been two years since they last saw him.

And as he said once, Sasuke and Sakura were once together. High school: they were the "it" couple without being all over each other, but she had been when they were thirteen. It wasn't until towards the end of school and they were going off their separate ways that Sasuke decided it was best he broke up with her, because he felt he was hurting her. _And it's like the bastard to not think about what his girl wanted. She could only tolerate his nightmares for so long._

But since he was coming home for some time before he got deployed again, maybe a start-over would be in the picture. Except when he brought this up, Sakura grunted and raised her empty shot glass. "Nope, I'd rather think of something else other than HIM. Neji, hit me with one more so I can just be excited and relaxed for the night."

He did just that but looked at her pointedly while his cousin watched with some worry, and Naruto knew he had to be the one to see reason - for now until his need for excitement got the best of him - and make sure she was sober enough for the drive back home. She was never that reckless.

After the hour was over, all three - Naruto and his girls - left without any trouble and the alcohol down well, but Sakura kept herself clear enough to drive him and Hinata to their flat.

"Whoa, I think I may have had a lot more than I thought," Naruto said, his vision blurred, remembering he had three or four shots, and now his stomach was rolling with contents ready to spill. That meant he would have a hangover in the morning, and how the hell did he let it get the best of him?! He wasn't that irresponsible!

Hinata was laughing nervously as she helped him up the stairs to their apartment which was on the second story. "Hinata, make sure the dummy wakes up on time and then has all the help he can get so Tsunade doesn't bust his skull down to the brain before I do!" Sakura called up to them as she stood at the bottom of the stairs. "And we should just stick to Friday nights for this instead!" She doubled over halfway with some crowing of laughter, before clearing her throat and straightening back up. _Yeah, just now changing my mind about that._

At least he was going to sleep good tonight.

But Hinata - she didn't deserve to waste her night taking care of him, so he just let himself fall right into the bed and pass out for the rest of the night. He faintly heard her say that she would wake him in the morning and check on him.

"N-ight, babe," Naruto heard himself slur, then tried to return the kiss she gave him before he drifted himself off.

Sakura still told him he was an idiot sometimes, so yeah, he was this time.

~o~

 _Naruto's idea to go out to Neji's bar, and he accidentally overdoes it._ She shook her head as she drove herself back home after dropping him and Hinata off to theirs. She had that place all to herself, nobody paying rent but her, although she considered sending out a flyer for a roommate. Except Sakura sometimes had second thoughts. Not all of them would match up to keeping the house clean or going about a certain way.

She used to be a terrible housekeeper, because her mother would always badger her about every little part of every little detail and tell you exactly how to do it. Her father also always stuck to his wife's side; you'd think it'd be easy to just side with his daughter once in awhile. Just like the time they got her into medical school, and when she dropped out after a year, Kizashi didn't rise to Mebuki when she said her daughter was a disappointment.

And of course, she hadn't seen or spoken to either of them since she got into archaeology as well as Tsunade's apprenticeship.

Sakura was home safe and sound within her walls of knick-knacks from clearance and garage sales. In the oak cupboards were wine glasses and regular hand-helds painted cleverly within of roses and golden leaves. The bamboo plants in some corners as well as on the tables weren't real, but looked like it. In the middle of the room was the glass table atop a carved stand resembling a magnolia of white wood. In her kitchen was a faded wooden table set with square dishes of classic black painted with pink and white blossoms. _Not much, but it's home._

She simply settled on a hot cup of miso before bed, right after washing and changing into a white t-shirt and blossom-printed silk shorts. She enjoyed her peaceful, quiet life, although she found herself thinking back to the bomb Neji dropped on her other best friend coming back home after two years abroad.

Her ex-boyfriend.

Sasuke was the love of her life, because they'd known each other for so long. She was only a girl back then, and it was his face at first. Hormones - what did you expect? It was when high school started that it turned into something else. Only when he ended it after those years, her going off to school and he into the services due to a lack of interest in anything else in life, she didn't know if she was going to fight to keep him, because once Sasuke's mind was set on something, he would do anything to make it happen.

But his decision was mainly due to the need to escape the dreams he had since they were younger. Visions, he said, where he was in the medieval period - like it was a past life he never knew about. But he never understood them so clearly. He spent years obsessing over them to the point he nearly went mad. He would have if they all had not been there for him.

Sasuke chose to leave because he didn't know what else to do anymore. There was nothing else he could do, and seeing therapists did so much. The dreams would keep coming back. So he thought roughening his body and helping both his country and foreigners' would keep his mind off things, disregarding what she and their friends wanted.

The few times he would be home, Sakura had no idea how to be comfortable around him anymore. Half of her was glad he did something for himself, but the other was so angry he didn't take _her_ feelings into consideration.

Even after all this time, she still wore the emerald necklace he gave her, which looked like it was made from English royalty. She didn't want to give up on him, but she hated being heartbroken. She buried herself in work and with Naruto and Hinata's company to just keep her mind off Sasuke.

 _I guess I should start moving on with my life now. I don't think we'll ever get back together. But someone else is out there waiting for me, except I don't know if he will ever replace Sasuke..._

Sakura could never bother her mother with this kind of advice. Tsunade even had better things to worry about than this. And Hinata, at the moment was too busy dealing with her tipsy boyfriend at the moment.

She slept very well that night, alone in her bed, and awoke on time to continue her rituals, but after that was when she heard her mobile go off, and it was Naruto calling her. Something was wrong; he and Hinata never contacted her at this time of morning unless it was something bad. "Naruto, what's going on?" she demanded, putting him on speaker because she was just getting her boots on.

He was frantic, not at all sounding like a guy who had awoken from a hangover the night before. _"S-Sakura, you really gotta get over here fast at the museum! My dad is here with some of his guys, and Granny's pissed beyond belief!"_

She almost panicked because she had an idea, but there was no time to ask. "I'll be there!" She hung up and rushed with her jacket and keys, locking the apartment and bolting down the stairs for her car, heading off to the museum - but when she got there, she was greeted with the shocking sight of _police_ swarming the museum, outside the laboratory behind the Uchiha Warrior exhibit.

"Sakura, you got here on time!" Naruto exclaimed, rushing up to her. "Granny, she's -"

"Not now, Naruto; I see her myself!" Tsunade snapped, and boy, he wasn't exaggerating. Sakura had to swallow as she worried about what was happening. "Sakura, please come and see for yourself."

And what she saw was something that could have given her nightmares for years to come.

Orochimaru was sitting at the table, speaking to an officer, but when he saw her come in, his expression was somber. And there was also Hinata, with Minato Namikaze, Naruto's father and chief of police. He had a small smile, but it was far from friendly and inviting. Except that wasn't what made Sakura reel inside.

The Uchiha warrior's freezing chamber was out of its place, and that made her angry, so she understood why Tsunade was furious today. Except she had a closer look at the corpse - "Oh, God, that's not our mummy!" she exclaimed, slapping both hands over her mouth.

The clothing was NOT the black-and-red kimono, nor was the posture relaxed. The hair wasn't long and possibly tied back. And as for the face - its eyes were partially opened in slits, showing depthless black, and the broken lips revealed perfect teeth. Which told this was, as she said, not theirs, and meant one thing that had happened overnight.

 _The Uchiha mummy is gone!_

~o~

 _"...worth a fortune on the black market. But damn it, how do I get this guy out?"_

When he came to his senses from the darkness, he registered that he could not be home. The environment felt surreal, as his body. But one thing he knew for sure based on a question: _what in the name of the gods have I become?_

His eyes, heavy and dried, opened, and his vision which was clear as the cloudless sky saw a dark ceiling. Only it wasn't stone or wood. He didn't know what it was. His brain wracked to think straight, but it didn't feel...functional. Just a frazzled thought here and there. Although there was a feeling he was certainly aware of: his stomach was empty. His throat was dry. His lungs felt shrunken and heavy at the same time. He could breathe, but at the same time, he couldn't.

 _I need to eat and drink something. After all, it's been ages since I had a real meal._

He sat up in the thing that he was laying in - _a coffin. I really was dead. I remember_ \- and glanced around with eyes that could see but not move. These surroundings were a horizon hiding a new territory he'd never treaded.

A slight commotion to his right made his head slowly turn, the snapping of bones reaching his own ears.

The sight of the man whom he was sure was not civil told him that what he needed to replenish himself was nothing like he should refuel on. His insides tightened and flared at just the appearance of the fool who was clearly trespassing.

 **OI, THE MUMMY AWAKES. :O Now what happened and where now does this go now that he escaped and a victim was left behind?**

 **If anyone got confused, the mummy waking up happened the night before Sakura arrives in the morning to find him gone with the others.**

 **Fun facts from Wiki: DNA was first isolated by the Swiss physician Friedrich Miescher who, in 1869, discovered a microscopic substance in the pus of discarded surgical bandages. As it resided in the nuclei of cells, he called it "nuclein". It was officially confirmed by 1952 when Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase in the Hershey** **-** **Chase experiment showed that DNA is the genetic material of the T2 phage** **.**

 **As for Sasuke being a Hyuuga this time, there is a much deeper reason to be revealed later on. But as mentioned, he's adopted and never knew his real family.**

 **Waiting worth it, you all know what to do: review. :)**


	5. The Missing Specimen

**I'm so exhausted it's not funny. Busy, but also wondering how the hell to bring this to life. Because mummies are still out of my alley I am trying to get the hang of. Gotta be SUPER careful with the supernatural. XD Problem is that there are some people who try to understand these things, and the way I see it, magic and spirituality are nothing like science where there is solid evidence. The spirit within always has mysterious ways.**

Chapter Five

The Missing Specimen

They went home, he dropped her off, and then she came early only to find police waiting for her and Orochimaru when he brought them both here. Naruto and the girls were not yet in at their time. And she was on the verge of snapping when the thought crossed her mind as to what could have been taken, but then again, it could have been something else.

The morning started off normal, and in this time, she would just skip out on breakfast to just head to the coffee shop with Orochimaru, since it was something they used to do when they were younger, before she was with Dan. It was like old times, had started up after his death. Rarely nowadays did either of them bring him up. Sometimes for Tsunade, it hurt to say his name or think about him.

Although, it was then she began to notice how restrained Orochimaru seemed. He wasn't ever like this in the laboratory, but outside was something else. It made her remember the one time when she had been interested in him the way she was in Dan, but Orochimaru wasn't the kind of guy to look at girls. He prized his work more than anything else. They worked together on school projects, too. _But as a consequence, he's never dated anyone._

He saw her as a friend, and he simply didn't want to ruin what they had by making it something complicated. So after a while of hurting, she moved on for the sake of their friendship - and then she met Dan when she first got into the museum which her grandfather had built. Her family had this for generations, so it was special to have it along with friends who had her back. Which was also why it was a blessing to have Sakura, Naruto and Hinata under her wing, especially when one of them was like her in some ways. Although Hinata was on strained terms with her father who was one of the biggest donators of the Antiquities Museum.

Bringing them back to the present, she and her longtime friend arrived to see the Konoha Police Department outside. The sun was coming up. "Tsunade, I honestly do not like this," Orochimaru muttered as he parked them in place.

It was then that they were approached. "Tsunade, Orochimaru." Ibiki Morino, deputy chief and one of the best interrogators on the other side of the table, was the man. Him with that slash across his face - it was easy to intimidate a young person at first tight. She rolled down her window, being in the front passenger seat, and scowled up at him. Whatever happened, she wasn't in the mood, but if something happened with any of the exhibits -

"What's going on?" she demanded, unbuckling and getting out, Orochimaru doing the same on his side.

"Long story short, one of your exhibits was broken into, and in the aftermath, it looks like a homicide," the man replied grimly. "But we would like you both to see for yourselves..."

 _A - a_ homicide?! _Here at MY museum?! And what was taken -?!_

Tsunade was seeing red, but Orochimaru? "Will you not tell us now, Deputy Chief?" He had some hint of exasperation, calmer than she ever would be. "If this is one of our own, then we at least deserve now before we -" He stopped talking then and there when they both arrived at the spot which had more officers, and it was a nightmare come true. Tsunade's world ended. When the board found out about this, they would be breathing down her neck for this, and it meant a closing down of this part until further notice.

And if the kids saw this, they would feel the same.

The Uchiha Warrior - the mummy which Dan risked his life to bring to this museum - was in question. She could think of one fact even though she had yet to see it: _it's GONE._

Her blood exploded like lava. She clenched her fists and felt the nails pierce her skin. "Tsunade!" Orochimaru said when he saw the blood plop onto the tiled white floors. "Honestly, you're bleeding at this time! Your phobia -"

"Shut. _Up_ ," she growled through her teeth. Since she was a teenager, she'd feared the sight of blood, because it took her back to when her baby brother was horribly killed before her eyes in the hit-and-run. The sight of Nawaki's scattered limbs, guts and all of that all over the road, some of the gore getting on her face and then her hands unwittingly becoming covered with it...

"Well, forgive me, but please accept this." She looked down and saw the many tissues he'd grasped for her, but the person who handed them to him was none other than Naruto's father, Minato, the police chief.

He was offering his soft and charming smile, but it never matched his eyes. "I'm really sorry about this, Tsunade." His blue gaze, which his son inherited, landed on her hand which was bleeding a little but was being suppressed bit by bit of the Kleenex. She refused to look at it, not only because of the memory, but because her stomach rolled at the sight and stench.

"What happened, Minato?" Tsunade said, impatient and wanting so much to know what happened to the mummy - and that was when he did just that in leading them both over to where the cryo unit and coffin were opened up, but the system had been turned off without her or Orochimaru's authorization.

"Well, what I can tell you we have so far is that the janitor came in, and he found two security guards dead, which had happened some time during the night after you two left. Perhaps an hour after closing time. The guards watching over the laboratory were killed likely with an overdose - very clean, leaving no blood, and we have found no fingerprints at that scene. Even the security footage watching this site -" He gestured at the opened chamber housing the remains. "- were shut off." Minato scoffed and shook his head. "Whoever did all of this was really damned good."

Tsunade Senju never thought that someone would think to come here and steal the thing which had been here for twelve years and had never been endangered _once_. "Was anything taken?" she demanded through her teeth.

Minato shook his head. "No, the artifacts appear to all be as they are...but take a look now," he said, standing over the casket now, and that was when she and Orochimaru finally saw it.

It was not hard to identify the garments and the facial expression as well as the manner the body was posed. Typical street punk attire, spiky auburn hair, the skin dried and brownish, but the lips were pulled back to show the teeth, and the sockets were black and depthless. And the hands were raised as if once holding onto something - or trying to fight someone off. "This is NOT ours," Tsunade seethed. "Someone has taken the real one and left another in its place." She had never felt so furious in her life; it was as if her world was coming to an end if she didn't say it enough. Then she jerked her head around at the person who loudly came in.

"Hey, Granny Tsunade, what is - Dad, what are you doing here?" Naruto exclaimed, halting in the doorway of the lab, Hinata right behind him. He looked a little disheveled, like he either had been drinking the night before or was just his usual bedside self. But for now, Tsunade didn't care.

"Son," his father answered somberly. "I'm afraid there's bad news regarding this mummy of yours."

Hinata gasped and put a hand over her mouth. "Was...it stolen?" she whispered. It was an innocent question, but Tsunade's temper was so short that it was hard to not take it out on anyone.

"Yes, it was. Naruto, call Sakura and get her here at once." He jumped at the tone of her voice and nodded hastily, stepping outside and rushing to get his mobile out.

Orochimaru looked at her with an unreadable gaze. "Tsunade, I am not happy any more than you are, but please, try to not take it out on the children," he said in a low voice. She glared at him but said nothing.

"Sakura is on her way," Naruto said when he came back. "So, what's happened?" He then peeked around and uttered a noise of disgust and dismay. "WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR MAN?!"

His raised voice was working on her nerves. Tsunade was ready to slap him, but held back because his father, the police chief, was there. "Naruto, apparently someone broke in, shut off the security footage as well as the preservation system, killed two guards and then replaced the mummy with this one - at least, that's what it looks like for now." He then turned to look back at the corpse with the painful expression that the Uchiha man did not have.

"Tsunade, Orochimaru, if it won't be an issue, I could use help from you both, my son and the girls, when Sakura gets here," Minato added. "Anything on this mummy of yours that can give us some answers."

Oh, she would be all too happy to offer consultancy, and if they had to, would they be on time with finding that mummy before the board got on her ass?

"What about this then?" Hinata asked softly, reaching down to pick something up off the floor, right after getting permission from the officer who was sweeping that area and marking it. The thing was in a plastic bag, but it was identified on the spot.

The Buddhist rite that had been at the head of the mummy's resting place, the _Namu Amida Butsu_ \- translated to "Homage to Infinite Light" - was partially torn at the top. As Hinata said, it was broken.

The air had become thicker by the second.

"Damn the fool," Orochimaru hissed, suddenly seeming more angry than she was, just like a real snake which he resembled. "He broke the seal." He took the bag from Hinata and went to sit at the table, not only to look at it himself, but because another lower ranked officer needed to speak to him. Unspoken between them was that it seemed he believed the mummy must have awoken, but that was _impossible_. There was no such thing as ancient magic awakening in this world, only in the old stories. Tsunade knew that good and well, but her friend as well as the loud young man seemed to share the same thought.

Naruto swallowed nervously. "Well, I know the mummy didn't just get up and walk out of here," he said with a nervous laugh, though this was no time for joking.

"NARUTO," Tsunade burst out, before pulling it together when all eyes were on her. "This is no time for laughs."

"Who said I was laughing, Granny?" he countered. But then they heard footsteps come in, telling them Sakura had arrived. He didn't have to tell her himself, because Tsunade could see for herself. And when Sakura looked down, looking frazzled herself, but it was because the call made her rush as quickly as she could, the mortification was there.

"What happened to the mummy?" Sakura asked her when she came to stand beside her.

Tsunade exhaled sharply. "Someone broke in last night and possibly stole it, but we are to cooperate with the department before we can draw any conclusions." She resisted biting her lip. Could this morning really get any worse than it already was?

 _I had better not jinx that._

~o~

The man tasted like nothing he'd had in his life. How long had it been since he had real food? _I am speaking like a cannibal, but it is not like I ate his flesh._ To think such thoughts made him feel like a barbarian, having grown up amongst.

Nobody else was in the room, but upon further investigation with his eyes as soon as he recovered his strength, he knew he could not be here - and add in when he saw his reflection in what he recognized as a mirror on the great table filled with strange items of colored chemicals and tools. Was he in a medical facility?

He wasn't sure if he could stay in this one place. Even if he wanted answers, he knew that when they found the corpse now at his feet, he would be in serious trouble. What he did was a sin - but it was also necessary. It made him feel rejuvenated, to take the fool by his shoulders and draw him close, then laid his lips on the other's; the energy in his body brought the opposite in, thus leaving the unfortunate a husk on the floor.

Which brought him back to his reflection in the mirror. His flesh was dried and sanded, his hair bearing hints of gray, and his eyes - he could see, but there was nothing there. Nothing but endless darkness, like a devil's. His senses were numb but aware. This one "meal" wasn't enough, so he needed more.

How long would he have to last until the next one? And how long would he have to keep taking innocent human lives so he would _live? Isn't there another way?_

He put the thing back down, unsure of how to feel about his new appearance. _I'm dead - or I was. But what am I going to do now?_ He had served a purpose, but now here he was, in a time he was unsure of. He had so much to learn...

His memory of the face who towered over his weakened form in that damned casket he now looked at - _you couldn't wait until I was dead, so you hurried the process_ \- was crystal clear before his "eyes" which then looked back at the thing on the floor. Bending down, he picked it up and read it was a Buddhist rite. He recognized the final words he had to chant before he would go into the next world. He'd been deprived of it. He had done it as a resort to protect his brother, who was left of their clan.

 _Where are you now, little brother? I must find you._

Setting the corpse of the one who woke him into the place where he'd laid in for a long time, he closed everything back into place, though he had no idea how to work the strange thing with small shapes and symbols. He never touched anything he didn't know.

Throughout the night, he had been hidden away, and finding his place in the shadows wasn't easy. Not only was it dark, the strange lights helping him find his way, but because this territory was nothing like his lands. He didn't know where to go, who to turn to, but all he knew was that he wanted to find his brother, if he was still alive somewhere...

But before he could do any of that, he needed to know: _what year is this?_

There was no doubt the world changed so much. He could see it all.

Not only was it the streets, the buildings, but also the people in terms of their clothing. Looking down at himself, he saw he could never fit in with them. And if they saw his face, no doubt they would scream in fear and run away from him.

An idea dawned on his mind: _if I find someone else, then I can sustain myself._ But there was also still no telling how often he had to feed, take another life who did nothing to him. It wounded him, compared to the times he slaughtered the enemy in his day. But he could feel his insides swell with renewed life by the new energy from the man who freed him.

The question was who was next.

And his chance came the following night, after surviving the entire day in what was an abandoned spot in a distant part of the village - he wasn't sure if he could call it one, since this was too big to be a village by his standards - and heard a commotion outside the door. He'd been sleeping amongst worn blankets and boxes covered with dust and sheets. His senses were high on alert to make sure anyone could be coming.

Morning had broken. He must have slept all night. But no matter; his next to come was before his eyes. And he knew unwanted contact when he saw it. He used to protect helpless girls from rapists from a very young age, and so had his father before him. Though others in their clan weren't so noble.

By this time, the man - an unruly kind and perhaps worse than the one last night - had punched the poor female out, and she was about to have her skirt removed when _he_ finally stepped out from behind the door of his hiding place, announcing his presence to the would-be violator, who screamed at the sight and didn't have time to finish before he found his face grasped within bony, brown-tinted hands...and his lips were smothered for the taking.

His goal to line up had to include beasts like this and the previous one.

This latest husk fell to the ground, this time turning into bones and dust, but the poor girl unharmed was unconscious. With an exhale as his insides ran the course of restoring themselves to their original state, he reached up and pulled the tie from his long, raven hair, letting it fly out in the breeze. It had been an eternity since he felt anything like this. Life was being restored to him, and he intended to make the most of it besides feeding off others to survive.

~o~

His dad and all his men came that morning. It had happened during the night, without an alarm being triggered. Whoever had done that was going to pay, but ol' granny was on boiling point and spilling over the pot, though it was a miracle she just stayed cool when she did the talking, and Pervy Snake himself shared what he found in the lab before he and the lady left for the night, which had to be just before the burglar came.

His father and his deputy, who was one of the best, listened intently on the other side of the lab table which was cleared off on the research material regarding the mummy who was the first finding of the lost and mysterious Uchiha clan.

"He is a young man, same age as your son and these girls," Tsunade was saying, hands beneath her chin as she looked ahead. She really didn't want to make eye contact with anyone, and Naruto understood why. This was something she'd spilled blood, sweat and tears for, and over a decade later, it was taken from her. _And this guy me and my girls saw on the other side of the glass when we were kids! It's just as hard on us, too - well, me and Sakura, though Hinata will just faint like she almost did when she saw this phony replacement._

Minato was extremely disturbed at this knowledge. "Started the self-mummification process at a tender age, did he?" he asked with a shake of his head. "I don't know if I can imagine being in his shoes..."

"You took the words out of our mouths, Dad," Naruto had to say. "This guy must have had so much going on for him." He glanced over to Ibiki Morino. The guy used to scare him when he was a kid, especially when it came to his failure to hit the targets. But the scarred face was troubled when he sat and listened.

Now the attention was on Orochimaru, who had Sakura on his right as she read over the report that was made yesterday during the CT autopsy. Together they took turns reading off the "food from tree" ingredients, and then the mention of the dried tears on the outside of the mummy's face, and ending with what he found in the hair samples when Naruto left with the ladies.

"High absorption of sake in his system," the snake man explained, "which tells us that someone smothered him and intoxicated him, finishing the job before he could finish his journey. Which points to the fact he had been murdered, and the cold air aided in preserving him intact."

 _Oh, I was right! I knew it all along!_

This information Minato and his fellow policemen absorbed made them close their eyes at the images of a young man dying before his time, even though in the medieval era, it was one of those parts of life. And with this, Morino started developing theories of his own about the Uchiha mummy's disappearance and the lack of fingerprints and tracks. Someone had been here, stolen the corpse, but left the weapons alone and replaced with a phony which was going to be taken to the coroner's for examination, and Orochimaru was to go with since he used to be a part of KPD's autopsies in his youth.

That fake was going to be examined thoroughly in custody, because why would a mummified corpse be wearing MODERN clothes in place of a six-hundred-year-old find?

"Even with all this evidence, the death is still a mystery with two different sides," Sakura had to say somberly when she noticed Tsunade was no longer able to speak. _She has too much on her mind, such as those old bags on the board of directors to deal with._ "Was he a sacrifice for attempted peace or a suicide? It's what I can think of. We don't even know a lot about the Uchiha."

Minato nodded, biting his lip.

However, with all of this on paper and in their minds, it could mean one thing only. If someone wanted the mummy to either collect for themselves or sell it off the black market, then why did they wait so long? Both father and son shared it without speaking.

Although, Naruto couldn't help but feel cold as he wondered about the broken scroll. He looked at it, with the _nenbutsu_ mantra surrounded with eight prongs like a literal seal, the top part almost completely ripped off. It made him return to those damned movies which made him wonder why he was still partly a child inside.

 _Why did they have to do that? It could have been something of additional value..._

And why did he have to let it slip out of his big mouth that the mummy got up and walked out of here? It was just a joke told at a bad time...or was it?

 **Creating the inscription on the seal, surrounded by the Eight Prong Seal from canon (which sealed the Nine-Tails in Naruto) was so hard because I am still trying to understand Buddhism, especially with what exactly to say when writing what's written to keep the mummy under wraps (no pun intended). Worst that could happen is people asking me for more on explaining why that certain phrase, and I really have none. I've been so exhausted with this process it isn't even funny. :( Coupled with the heat of this house I live in.**

 **When one performed** _ **sokushinbutsu,**_ **after taking all the necessary natural elements of a tree, the monk would eventually die while meditating and chanting the** _ **nenbutsu**_ **(or** _ **nianfo,**_ **which is a mantra about Buddha), thus their body becomes preserved. In Japanese, the mantra is called Namu Amida Butsu ("Homage to Infinite Light").**

 **Originally, the founder of the nianfo in Japan created the hymn in nine characters: Na mu fu ka shi gi kō nyo rai ("I take refuge in the Buddha of Inconceivable Light!"). Later, ten characters expanded: Ki myō jin jip-pō mu ge kō nyo rai ("I take refuge in the Tathagata of Unobstructed Light Suffusing the Ten Directions").**

 **Religious rambling aside, review. :D**


	6. The Stranger in the Streets

**"The Shogun's Otome" has just been completed along with a couple new oneshots that are in progress. :D I return with this chapter I'm excited to present - but I also have news.**

 **On the twenty-fourth of last month, my dad was diagnosed as soon as he came in with liver failure, due to years of alcoholism. Grandma (his mother) and I tried to get him to stop, but it was hell to tolerate him. Look what happened, and he will be wishing he'd listened.**

 **But then, a week later of him being in the ER, we found out it was only liquid swelling. But he hasn't had a drink since he came home. :) Let's hope things stay fine for now.**

Chapter Six

The Stranger in the Streets

Whether they all liked it or not, the museum had to be closed down for investigation. But especially, the Uchiha Warrior Exhibit was to be the only spot drawn to a close, which meant that money from visitors would be depleted the longer this trouble would go on. Sakura could imagine how her boss was handling this, but funds were the least of their worries. It was also because Tsunade loved this one scientific find more than anything else, the history more meaningful than anything else she could remember.

The mummy was gone, security footage skillfully turned off so they had no idea who the perp was, and the guards were killed by over dosage. Their blood was going to be examined in the KPD's toxicology lab. Orochimaru would be there to assist especially with the mummified imposter, which was wearing normal clothing that was nothing like their man's, and that left two theories in mind:

The first was that it was a murder victim sloppily replacing the treasure.

The second, farfetched as it sounded, could also be that it was the burglar.

There was only one way to find out.

"The three of you go back home at once," Tsunade told them when Naruto's father and the rest of the force were gone, the crime scene wired with yellow tape to keep everyone out. For some reason, the Uchiha mummy's sword and the ceramic pieces were left alone. _Maybe whoever it was, they wanted the major specimen himself instead of usual ancient products._

She, Naruto and Hinata were told to head home, but Sakura was more worried because Tsunade didn't deserve to face the bothersome board of directors alone. But the well-endowed, furious woman booked no refusal, and the pinkette didn't want to incur her wrath any more than it already had been. So she and her friends were out of there, and it was Hinata's idea for them to head out to have breakfast. "All on me," she said happily, hiding it as well as Naruto.

"What do we talk about? I can't stop thinking about THAT," he said as they sat in the café. All of them each had warm roasted tea before them. "Dad said not to worry, but some habits are hard to kill."

Sakura found herself staring at her reflection in her cup. She couldn't agree more. "I could name several reasons he could be taken. One of them being medicine. Remember they used to do that in the late 1700s?"

Naruto gulped. "I think I'm gonna lose my appetite just thinking about that, and I hadn't even eaten again yet!"

 _Little detail as possible then._ "Then moving on. Unwrapping is out of the question, since mummies in our country don't come wrapped up like the Egyptians. And that also means they didn't find anything special, like amulets and the likes. So they thought his sword was nothing they hadn't seen before." Despite the fact it belonged to someone who lived among a six centuries' extinct samurai family.

Hinata found the will to speak when she was so lighthearted on the subject. "Pigment paint, or maybe paper?" she suggested, turning a little pale and then taking a sip from her teacup. "Interior decoration? That would give me nightmares like when I was a child again."

"Me too!" Naruto agreed, eyes turning into white balls, and his voice rising enough to get a few heads in their direction. "I mean, who the hell would want to have a dead man on display for personal reasons? Only a psycho would want that!"

And if that wasn't nightmarish enough, it would also be a prop on stage for some macabre Egyptian play or a talent show, fertilizer for the earth at home, faux relics, and finally fundraising.

With all of those known options, it would definitely be either for money or for the home. There was no solid decision when they were not even detectives, and Naruto had tried to do that himself in his old training. His brain was smart, but not always the brightest. She wasn't saying it to be mean, but exactly as it was, and he knew it.

And just like that, the waitress came in on time with their orders ready, being light including rice balls wrapped in seaweed. Sakura, now that she realized it, wasn't all that hungry much either.

Half an hour later, what would happen next? They planned on nothing the entire time, the topic of their missing mummy off their lips for now, but Hinata whispered, "I hope Tsunade is doing okay. I mean, the board - they must be going hard on her for letting something like this happen. And that one especially..."

All three of them hated to say his name, because Naruto would still blow up at the guy who hounded their sensei the most. However...

"Hey, watch where you are going, buddy!" he yelped at the person he nearly ran into. Sakura blinked, halting her steps, Hinata right behind her. It happened so fast neither of them saw it coming. She looked at the guy her friend almost got run over - or did he nearly do that himself? - and felt her breath hitch at the face that looked from Naruto to her and Hinata, then back.

 _S-Sasuke?_

No, wait. Looking closer, she saw that the face wasn't her ex-boyfriend. She remembered Sasuke wasn't coming home until tomorrow. But why did the face look so much like him? He had very black hair, but it was long and loose about, the bangs reaching his chin. There were deep, slanted lines beneath his onyx eyes. And he was so pale, like he wasn't in the sun often. Why was she comparing him to Sasuke when he clearly wasn't?

Now she looked closer at his clothing: he was in a baggy brown sweatshirt and navy blue pants that reached his knees, finished with matching sandals. She'd never seen someone like him before. "Um..." Sakura didn't know why that of all things came out of her mouth, but what could she say?

He was just so...handsome. When was the last time she saw a good-looking man besides Sasuke?

"Sakura?" Hinata whispered in her ear, jolting her back to reality. _Idiot! Gawking over a pretty-faced stranger you just met!_ And the pink blush on the Hyuuga's cheeks didn't make the burning in her own any better.

"Oh, Sakura," Naruto said when he noticed how both she and his girlfriend reacted. He laughed, reaching to scratch the back of his neck before looking back at the long-haired man without a name. "Excuse the girls; they get that way when they see a good-looking man like yourself."

"NARUTO!" Never mind that there were people nearby or even this one, she delivered him a slug to the face that sent him on his ass. "YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO GO AND SAY THAT ALOUD FOR THE WHOLE WORLD TO HEAR, IDIOT!"

"Geez, you didn't have to go out on me like that, Sakura!"

There was a noise that ruffled her nerves and calmed her down instantly. It turned out to be the man who watched the scene with a sparkle in his eyes, meaning amusement. He was chuckling. The sound...it was the nicest thing she ever heard. "Okay, just who are you?" Sakura finally asked, reaching down to help Naruto up, and he was grunting as he waited for an apology. Rolling her eyes, she gave it to him.

The man answered in a voice that was a baritone of quiet like a brook, smooth like butter on toast, and deep and rich like dark chocolate.

"I am...Itachi."

~o~

He found time looking up at the signs that he passed ever since stealing the man's clothing. If the dust the bones broke down into would scatter, perhaps no one would find this loathsome scum. If he had anything to say about it, he'd say this one deserved it, if he didn't say it enough. He wasn't going to stay here any longer now that he was in this tunic garment, the trousers and sandals. His hair was going to be out of its tie until he was tired of it being in his face. It felt smothered to keep it behind his head in a knot for who knew how many years after his death...

He was going to find his brother now, wherever he was. But he still didn't recognize his surroundings...until he saw one that said _Konoha._

 _That means...I'm home. I'm no longer in the mountain. Someone found me and brought me to that place...but what was - or IS - a museum?_

The number of questions in his mind were ever increasing. But by the looks of it, it must have been decades or something, so there could be a chance his brother was still alive. If he was, then he must be an elder man - or was he dead? If so, then what purpose did he have in life now?

He had no idea how to ask around, but perhaps someone could come around that morning. And it was that moment he found himself in what appeared to be a quiet spot, like a pub, and there was no mistaking it. But it wasn't like the one he remembered from his days. Although the certain smell of sake reached his nostrils. There were only a few men present, one at the bar, two more at a table beside the window. Also, another was behind the wooden table which showcased colorful glasses. He was dark-haired, though the mane was in a much lower tie than his own was. His clothing was minimal, revealing more skin and muscle than he'd care. When he looked up to see who came in, a small smile came over his face. It surprised him to see this one's eyes were pearlescent white - _a Hyuuga. So, they are still here._

"Well, a new face," the young man said as he was wiping the counter of the long table with a white rag. "It's a bit early to have a drink, but something tells me that's not why you are here."

"You're...correct," he answered. "I'm new to this town and am looking for someone I have not seen in years, who might be living here..."

The other man's brows furrowed. "A stranger - odd at this time of morning. But then again, it's never a first time. Who are you looking for exactly?" he asked, before gesturing for him to sit down. "And can I give you a coffee or something?"

He didn't know what a coffee was, but he knew one thing for sure: it was asking for money, which he had in the pocket of the sweatshirt. The yen was different today than it was back then, but for some reason - might as well be the influence of both victims' energies - he was able to catch on and learn this quick. "Just one," he answered. "And in answer to your question..." He counted off the bills and passed them to the other long-haired man. "...it's my younger brother whom I have not seen in years."

"Younger brother, eh? What would his name be?"

"Sasuke."

The man's body stiffened as he turned to hunch over and begin making this coffee, and slowly did he turn back to look at his strange new customer. "S-Sasuke?" A tense air loomed between them. "You said younger brother?" Then shimmering eyes narrowed. "My family has someone named 'Sasuke' who was adopted when he was still a baby, and we consider him one of our own. That wouldn't happen to be the same one, right?" he asked, suspicion clearly laced.

He nodded. "What is your name exactly?" the Hyuuga pressed on. "Because before I consider telling you about my adopted brother, I should know first."

"Itachi," he replied. He refrained from saying his family name, because as it was obvious enough, the Uchiha clan was all but extinct. "And your name, friend?"

"Neji Hyuuga. I run this bar." _I was right...and wait. He said Sasuke was adopted, so that increases the possibility._

"So I gathered as soon as I came in," Itachi answered with a smile. "And it's a long story, but I was very young when we were separated. Our family in the mountains, perhaps hours away from this town, was very poor, so there was no choice but to let the baby be taken away at birth so that life was easier for us. That is all I know which happened in our entire lives." It was one of the boldest lies he'd ever told, but would it work? Neji Hyuuga was scrutinizing him as if trying to read any telltale lines...

A moment's pause took place before Neji answered. "I see. All I know myself is that little is known about Sasuke's parents. My father and uncle were too happy to bring him in. Family isn't always ended with blood, you know."

 _Family isn't always thick as blood._

It was then that Itachi looked off to the side and felt his insides freeze figuratively. Something on the wall displayed a written month, weeks and days...and the _year._ It was the year itself that made his heart begin to pick up a murderous pace, making him wonder if it was going to give way again.

The year marked today... _six hundred years later._

Which could mean one thing only: _my little brother is dead._

But that wouldn't explain this "Sasuke" Neji spoke of; the clues were right before his mind's senses. Perhaps if he saw this Sasuke face to face, everything would be fine - or _would_ it?

He found that the coffee, made of certain beans, was delicious, but when he tasted it black, it was bitter. Neji noticed his reaction and chuckled. "Would you like some cream and sugar in it instead?" he offered.

Now this was better. Itachi enjoyed it and thanked him. His first time tasting something in the modern era. He had six hundred years to catch up on a lot of things. And in the meantime, he also learned Sasuke had been overseas, dealing with a foreign conflict - _he's in a military force. So he's still a fighter, just like I remember._

"Come back again if you want to - but Itachi?" He halted at the door and turned halfway back to look at the Hyuuga. "It's best you don't right away tell Sasuke who you are, if you see him. Because we're the only family he's had. It's better to take things one step at a time."

One step at a time...yes, because he wouldn't be able to recognize him. Even that hadn't changed in this era when it came to unrecognizing someone from infancy and young childhood.

Itachi never expected to run into these three other young people just as he was leaving the pub. They were coming out of another structure next door, and he almost didn't see them coming. One was a boy with a shock of blond hair and blue eyes bright as the skies overhead, and the other two were girls. One had ravenesque hair tinted with lavender down her back, the bangs above her eyes - _pearlescent, meaning she has to be a Hyuuga, too_ \- but the other struck him most of all.

 _Green eyes and...PINK HAIR. I've never seen hair like that. Interesting..._

The young male was clearly wild, for his voice raised when he snapped at him to watch where he was going - but Itachi's attention fell to the pink-haired female who watched him like he was a scenic view. Those eyes expressed everything; she was glued to him like a magnet. And of course, when the blond pointed out her flush, Itachi didn't expect the girl's reaction: she threw a blow that sent him onto the ground. It amused and shocked him at the same time. In his day, women were seldom this reactive to a man's comment. She was clearly very different, especially from his mother.

When they asked his name, he told them. But like with Neji, he couldn't say his real name. Except he didn't know if these three heard of his clan centuries ago, whatever information was even left of the Uchiha...

"What are you doing here in Konoha - Itachi?" The rose-haired girl was the one to ask him. "Are you from around here?"

"Originally," he answered. "I recently arrived from a...very long journey. It's quite the story."

"Oh, yeah, that means a lot of talking, mister..." the blond said with a furrow of his brow. "And you look a lot like someone we know."

Something inside him softened only to harden, leaving behind a feeling of euphoria.

 **The nine strange uses for a mummy besides being a scientific object or a museum display (medicine, unwrapping show, pigment paint, paper, fertilizer, interior décor, stage prop, fundraising and fake artifact) were all in thanks to an article that Blue Kitsune found as a suggestion for inspiration when we were trying to figure out why the Uchiha mummy (Itachi) was being stolen from the Konoha Museum.**

 **Shippuden episodes 431-444 were released recently, and it was heaven to finally see Tsunade's dream arc that was none other than an alternate where Minato, Kushina, Jiraiya and co. were all alive in a so-called perfect world - even ITACHI-KUN. :3 I saw bits of the Japanese version on YouTube clips, but I waited forever for the English dub. The wait was worth it. It was literally fanfiction come to life.**

 **Reviews appreciated very much after a long wait. :D**


	7. The New Housemate

Chapter Seven

The New Housemate

There were no words to describe how much hate she was feeling bubbling beneath her skin. The rest of the staff beneath her had to gather around right after all the closed signs were put up for the day, and that was when they learned about the missing status of the Uchiha mummy. Shizune, her secretary and somewhat niece - Dan had been her uncle - was sitting beside her as they gathered in a circle so she could explain every word spoken by the board of directors, which composed of ten men and women, but the ones she had the brunt force were from three in particular...one of those three being someone she considered a worst enemy.

 _"Perhaps an update in security ought to be in order, Tsunade."_

 _"Whoever broke in was skilled in this, knew something you and Orochimaru didn't."_

Truer words had never been spoken, and whoever did this was going to pay whether she had to do it personally or let the police take care of it. Either way, she wanted her prize back where it belonged. The information Orochimaru and the kids found last night had to be enough if they were to identify the mummy if they ever found it. Their theory stood that it was someone who wanted the valuable - as if it was just some trophy to put on personal display!

Who DARED to treat a perfectly conditioned dead man like that?!

The museum was closed to the public, but everyone was still going to work as usual. But when Tsunade found herself alone in her office, she didn't realize how hollow it felt to not have Naruto and the girls - but worst of all being their man gone. _They must be feeling helpless or useless._ But while she wanted to apologize for losing her temper shortly, she couldn't. They knew her better than that.

But at least the final verdict was clear: the Uchiha exhibit would be closed until further notice. He'd brought them good money over the years, but now that he was gone, it meant depletion from visitors and the benefactors. However, Hiashi Hyuuga - who was also a board member himself - offered another donation if something else could come along to ensure this museum's benefit. Which Tsunade wanted nothing better to do.

"We have no other choice but to continue," she said bitterly to the other researchers beneath her. "Unless any of you have something of significance that has never been seen before that could keep us from sinking, as much as I hate to think about profits at a time like this."

"Yes, Tsunade," they all said in unison.

"Then let's get back to work. The sooner, the better."

And meanwhile, if she couldn't have her sake at this hour, then Shizune's special green tea would be what she needed. Although she wished Orochimaru was back so he could tell her what he found without breaking investigation confidentiality.

~o~

 _"...you look a lot like someone we know."_

When Naruto said those words, she was happy he saw the same thing she did. But this guy, this "Itachi" - he also said he was originally from this town, yet he traveled all the way out here from where exactly? Did he say he had a story behind it? It was then that she noticed his reaction when Naruto spoke of his resemblance to their friend, and there was a subtle shift in expression as if a giant wave was coming over him. "Who exactly do you speak of?" he questioned.

"A friend of ours," Hinata answered. "He's been overseas, fighting in a war, but he's due back where he will stay for likely another year before he's ordered out again."

Itachi's eyes widened a bit. "Do you speak of a Sasuke, by any chance?"

All three of them - Naruto, Hinata, and herself - froze when he mentioned the name. "How did you hear about him?" Sakura demanded, suddenly a little more suspicious, but from the back was a little light. Sasuke was adopted into Hinata's family as a baby, so maybe this Itachi guy was a long-lost relative or something. That would explain the resemblance. "Are you a family member of his?" Hinata looked back at her, surprised a bit, and then calmed down.

"Oh, I see. You're his brother, or a cousin maybe? You heard about him from Neji," Hinata stated, looking in the direction he'd come from, which was none other than her cousin's bar. _That explains how he found out. But he still came out here from_ where _exactly?_

"Yes, Neji. Fine fellow, I must say. I even enjoyed the fine coffee which was a first time for me," Itachi answered, smiling kindly, softening those lines beneath his eyes.

"Yeah, Neji does it the best like no one else!" Naruto finally said, eyes gleaming. "Everything here in Konoha is the best it can be - although there are still so many other countries that aren't as lucky as we are, but they're trying to. The town of Kumo is one of them. That's where he's been all this time, and now he's coming home. He's my best friend, for a long time..."

Itachi's eyes sparkled with pure adoration. Sakura found herself suddenly more drawn to him even though he was still a mystery. He gave off a pleasant demeanor, easy going and not afraid to speak his mind - but that could also mean he had something else to hide. Everyone had their secrets.

But it was also best that, if you wanted to enjoy something or someone, don't ever jump off the cliff without preparation.

~o~

First this guy nearly ran him over when he and his girls were leaving the café, and then he just happened to say he knew Sasuke, saying his name was just Itachi - so no last name, huh? Was he one of those guys from the old days without a surname? That was going to be something new, if the latter was the case.

They left the café, he left Neji's bar, so now it meant them all going back to his and Hinata's flat for the talking. It also meant Hinata feeding them all the sweets that she bought to take out. All of them different kinds of dango, from tri to soy-dipped white and green tea. When Itachi looked at them, his eyes sparkled. Each iris had the glitter like a single star in the night sky. He really was something else. Oddball, but Naruto liked him already.

And judging by the way he looked around himself and asked them how this and that worked - even identifying how the stoplights worked, green for go, red for stop and yellow to slow down - Naruto deducted that Itachi had no idea how this town worked. He'd said he used to live here, but if he did, he must have been really young. He explained that he'd grown up in an old-fashioned way of life that was completely different than Konoha.

 _That must mean no credit cards, no modern tech - he from one of those places the religious folk live? That's the best I can think of, and if so, how in the hell did he come all the way out here from who knew where with so little except the clothes on his back and the money he has?_

Now they were all back at his and Hinata's apartment, where it was bright and cheery. Lamp shades being bright orange like the abstract flower wall art pieces. Console table and the coffee table were made of golden metal, and he really wasn't good with calling out the tiniest details like the scrollwork or the substance. Hinata was the artistic one, and he let her do what she wanted. The lights that suspended from the ceiling were shades of blue in the capiz shells - or so that was what his girlfriend said they were. The flower arrangements were fake, but they looked real. One was on the coffee table, consisting of orange kalanchoes, ivy, ferns and leaves lined internally with red. Another on the console was a piece of the country, with pink roses, yellow hydrangeas, ivy and ferns all in a teal blue antique vase. A smaller one on the opposite end was the same vase but with succulents.

"This is quite...impressive," Itachi noted just as he was walking in, before Hinata cried out, almost dropping the sweets.

"Itachi! Please take off your shoes before you enter someone's home!"

"Yeah!" Naruto agreed as he was shrugging off his jacket. "You didn't know that?"

He was doing just what they asked, but refused to look at them, not answering. He could feel Sakura's frown on him, silently scolding him, but why was she mad at him? This was a common rule! And he used to make a real mess of things before Hinata set him straight herself.

"Forgive me then." Now he heard a tint of cross in Itachi's voice. "I had forgotten only for a moment. I was amazed by the sheer beauty of this home of yours. I have never seen anything like this before."

Hinata smiled at him, gesturing for him to sit at the kitchen island as soon as they were inside. She opened the box and pushed it towards them. "So, Itachi, no last name?" _Thanks for reading my mind, babe._

"None that I know of," he answered, picking up one of the tri sticks and bringing it to his mouth, moaning at the sweetness, and closing his eyes as if in heaven. Just like when ramen hit Naruto's sweet spot! "I simply went by my given name for years, but when I found out about my brother, whose surname was unknown as well, I knew I had to one day set out by any means necessary. He was all I could ever think about from the moment we were separated at birth."

He really was so determined to find Sasuke, when Sasuke knew nothing about him and the Hyuugas were the only family he had. And it did make sense that he never knew where or WHO he came from before. But he was coming home tomorrow after a long-enough time. He couldn't just be bombarded with a surprise long-lost brother. Which Itachi had to know before he could make a move or say a word.

"Sasuke won't be home until sometime tomorrow," Sakura said as she picked up a soy-covered stick, licking it off with her tongue which seemed to catch the attention of the long-haired man. Her eyes were sparkling - maybe she wasn't aware of it - when they laid on Itachi's appearance and finally his face. "Maybe it's for the best that you keep away from him for a few days at least so he could adjust to being back, and then we can think of how you can approach him gently - all of us," she added, looking around at Naruto and Hinata, who nodded in agreement.

 _Totally great thinking, Sakura. As always._ "Yeah, and believe it when I say Sasuke might want to get to know you." But Naruto doubted his own words, because the _teme_ was more high-strung nowadays than he used to be when they were younger. And his girls knew that without saying it.

"Why don't you tell us more about yourself?" Sakura offered, glancing at Itachi again.

Naruto wasn't sure if he liked the way he and Sakura looked at each other. His protective side immediately kicked in, because of the memory of what Sasuke did to her. He had no right to tell his rose-haired friend what to do with her love life, but what if a repeat could happen with the older brother of her ex-boyfriend, whom she barely knew - and Sasuke had no idea had come into his life?

~o~

Well, Itachi's story was vague but enough to convince her. He'd lived a sheltered life outside Konoha - specifically Mt. Yudono, which didn't surprise her at all. That place today still kept their way of life away from outsiders' ears. He'd gotten away from his life as a member of the shrine, because he got curious with the outside world besides the desire to find his younger brother.

The thoughts of Sasuke made her ask the question: _how far apart in years are you two?_ He said a year; he was the oldest. But by the looks of it, he appeared to be the same age as all three of them.

Suddenly, Sakura found herself catching certain features: that nose, the lines beneath his eyes, lips and even the long raven hair - but she stopped herself. There was no way in hell he could be the _Uchiha mummy._ Naruto might have made a joke their guy had gotten up and walked out on his own, but a crack was all it was. Mummies didn't come alive like the movies and books, and ancient spells might have outdated even if they DID exist, like the one on the torn scroll...

Itachi was looking at her now with a curious look in his face, obviously rapt by her. He said he'd never seen someone like her before, and he was very interested...as if that wasn't enough to make her cheeks burn.

Also, he didn't have a place to stay or even money besides the cash he saved for himself. That meant he could use a job for himself, something to do with his life, but right now there was no need to worry about that. And if Sasuke didn't want his long-lost elder brother in his life, that meant Itachi could move in with her if he wanted to. He might be the roommate Sakura knew she could need. Here they were back at her apartment after an eventful day, and there he was looking around the items that made this place home.

 _Don't get too ahead. It's only the first day._

She also knew she couldn't call him a shady guy, because he didn't give off that vibe. And if he were a thief, he would have stolen something by now, or he was just waiting for the right time -

"I promise you, while I admire that you have so much, I am not a petty thief."

She jumped. "You read my mind!" _How did you do that?!_

"Oh, don't worry. I knew what you were thinking simply because of your body language. It's natural especially when you allow a stranger in your home. But it's not my intention." He chuckled, standing in front of the little bookcase against the wall, taking in the different choices she had which were archaeological volumes, some medical texts from her old days, and a few romance, mystery and horror novels. Each of them even had their comedic moments. She loved nothing more than a great balance of the genres.

Besides the books, there was also a photograph framed with rusted pewter. It was her, Naruto, Hinata and Tsunade in Suna in regards of the small lost village found outside the town. One of the best days of their lives. Itachi hummed as he picked it up as if wanting to see what else was there. "You are adventurers?" he questioned, not looking up at her.

Sakura cracked inside and burst out giggling. The sound got his attention and a slight raise of an eyebrow. "Adventurer is a bit of an overstatement. We're archaeological students."

"Archaeological?" he repeated. He'd never heard of the word; what century was he from again?

"Meaning we not only leave home to find treasures of the ancient worlds across the globe, but we also do our best to study who the dead people were in life, why and how they died, and as for the items left with them, the same goes in the sense they give additional clues." Understanding flashed across his eyes then. He put the picture back to where he found it.

"Fascinating. I would love to meet your superior - this woman in the picture, if I am not mistaken."

He didn't know much or everything about the modern world, but he already guessed who Tsunade was. "Oh, yeah, her. Tsunade is our boss and kind of like a mom. My own and I were never close," Sakura admitted, leading the way now, showing him around where the bathroom was - the only one she had in her bedroom - and the kitchen/dining room; he had just been in the living room. It was a shame she didn't have a guest room. Which meant she would have to let him have her room for now, and she would take to the couch. It was rude to let him have that - but then he surprised her.

"I can take the couch, Sakura," Itachi said, giving a praising eye around her bedroom - especially at the bedcovers which were made of chenille lace. "I've slept in much worse environments than this. I'm sure you have additional blankets I can borrow."

 _How can he be such a willing gentleman?_ His brother was like that, only a few times. But this man was so easy it was hard to believe. She'd known him for only a few hours at most. "Um, yeah, I do. I'll give them later tonight," she answered.

"Thank you. I honestly feel like this is so much. So much more than home."

Sakura sat down on the edge of her bed, looking him up and down at his plain but obviously comfortable clothing. "What is it really like back home?" If he wasn't going back there, he could provide a few more details besides the little-known rituals Tsunade told them about.

Itachi's eyes lowered. "Very...strict. Private from the outside world. There are secrets that are best kept as they are. Some ways are far different than today." And so he left because he wanted more. That sounded like something she knew too well.

"So," he finished, "I want to live just like you - a normal life. I want something new and better, as much as I desire to reconnect with my brother."

 **Not a lot to say this time, but the ending is like when Ampata (Inca Mummy Girl) pleads with Buffy to help her live a "normal life" after being dead and alive at the same time for five hundred years.**

 **Review as usual. More detail too. :D**


	8. The Return of an Old Friend

**I feel like I officially reached my limit with caring for my father who, despite getting his medication, is still reliant on me taking care of him over the littlest of things. I'm trying to hold on, but it's so hard. :(**

Chapter Eight

The Return of an Old Friend

Naruto and Hinata had this place to themselves, and that meant he had no choice but to stay with Sakura for the time being. He found out then that she was alone, and she had wanted to get a roommate to help out with the rent, but that could also mean the person wouldn't be able to keep up with cleaning the place like she could. Which was why she had the apartment all to herself.

This apartment...the word was no different than it was in his day. Just a compound where his entire clan lived, the head who was his father as well as his family in the biggest part of the complex. Today, apartments were one singular box consisting of only three rooms - one of many within a single building.

How could one person truly have so much in these times? This was more than a peasant could have afforded. _The world really has changed. It seems they have more things than just weapons and food. But what do they do to defend themselves from enemies?_ It was another issue he desperately needed to know as it had been a major part of his life.

But today he just wanted to relax. Tomorrow he would get to work.

However, it seemed Sakura didn't trust him because of the fact she didn't know him, so she assumed he was a kind of petty thief, which he had done everything in his fiber to convince her he wasn't. It was only natural she would think that way.

What he discovered in this sweet and natural place was the fact she loved recreational reading, like chivalry and romance, mystery and horror. He even found some interesting books on a subject called "archaeology", which he had never heard of, but he learned this face when his eyes landed on the picture which did justice to Sakura and her friends. The woman behind them was blonde, honey-eyed, and well-endowed. He had never seen women like that in his day. Large breasts were considered too much attraction. But this woman...she was their superior. He was sure of it; his instincts were never wrong.

Sakura explained to him they were archaeological students under the woman in the picture, whose name was Tsunade. It was a much better word than simply "adventurer". "We not only leave home to find treasures of the ancient worlds across the globe, but we also do our best to study who the dead people were in life, why and how they died, and as for the items left with them, the same goes in the sense they give additional clues," she explained.

She had him hooked like a fish to the bait.

So, they traveled across the world to uncover relics of the past - and that meant himself had been included. He hadn't had time to look around the room he awoke in to see if any possessions of his were buried with him. She said Tsunade was more of a mother than her own had been. _Not close with her own family - that is something new to me._ Before he could ask her more, Sakura went about to showing more of her apartment, and it was very warm and inviting like her friends', but not elaborately done. And only was the bedroom, bathroom, living room, and kitchen as well as dinner table in one were present. There was no extra room for him, and he thought about having the couch so she could keep her room, which shocked her.

But here they were now in her room, when he told her he wanted not only to find his brother, but to live what she had: a normal life. He didn't know if he wanted to fight again, though his bones remembered all the days he spent outside, his eyes seeing the corpses of his kinsmen who gave their lives, his best friend being one of them...the rest of them and ending with his parents.

He might have a chance to live a different life than that. But he had to learn how this world worked before he decided anything.

When that was done, what else would there be?

It was then that his attention shifted to the picture on the table beside the bed - it was of Sakura with a rather attractive young man. He held her from behind, the two of them looking lovingly at whatever captured this moment. Itachi felt his breath suck in as he recognized not only the upward-swept raven hair and depthless eyes, the pale skin and facial features so similar to his own...

 _It can't be!_

But it was, and it was staring at him in the face. "Sakura, who is this?"

Her reaction wasn't what he expected, because if she was happy in here, however long ago this was, then she wouldn't have taken it from him and put it facedown. Her face was tight. "It's my ex-boyfriend," she said. "And it was Sasuke, your brother."

She had been involved with his brother. But not anymore. And half of it disturbed him, but the other didn't. Although it wasn't like he was going to ask her to be his wife. Incest and in-laws marrying was one of the norms in his day, but did it change today? "What exactly happened?"

"I'd rather not talk about it. But he's coming home tomorrow, and I'm not sure I'll feel comfortable to face him. It's been long enough since last time I saw him."

Sakura curtly turned away from him, her attitude changing in a heartbeat. _She doesn't want to speak of it. It has to truly be that serious._

But all in all, to look at the face in the picture: _it truly is him. I knew it...he's alive..._

But on second thought, what if this Sasuke didn't remember him? There was one explanation he could come up with for this, if he'd been entrapped between this world and the next. Sasuke must have been reincarnated in this time, with the same face and name...

After tomorrow would be when he had his chance and speak to Sasuke. What was frightening - laughable for someone who had been a warrior as only a child - was he didn't know how it would go. He'd waited forever to see his beloved younger sibling again.

Rest of the day consisted of the two of them on her couch, before a black box called a television - TV for short - and enjoying what was called a movie. It told stories through moving pictures, and this one they watched was an invigorating horror movie called _Ju-On_ , and he found himself rapt with the idea that someone who died in the grip of such powerful rages could return to haunt the one responsible, or if they weren't available, that meant taking it out on innocent people who had nothing to do with it. Such was the case of the central ghost - a woman guilty of marital infidelity, though innocent physically nonetheless, only to be killed by her husband. Their young son and the cat followed. Then began the curse in which those who entered their house, where the deaths took place, would die and then a new curse was born. It was a never-ending cycle, and was widely popular with audiences of the country - even those outside, like in a country called America, far across the ocean.

"Have you ever been to America?" he asked her, wishing he could go out there and see it, since you couldn't leave without permission in his time. She giggled and nodded, telling him a brief story of her visits to places like New York, Los Angeles, and once to Washington, D.C., which was the country's capital.

Itachi found he wanted more, because Sakura had a nice collection of them. To follow was a fantastic black-and-white picture called _Godzilla_ , about a dinosaur-like aquatic beast who rampaged through Japan, laying destruction in its wake. It was powered by something called radioactivity, which was charged by electrical force, giving it godlike powers. He was impressed with the results as well as the subplot that was a love triangle ending with one of them sacrificing his life to stop the monster.

He found himself looking her over at several points, taking in the exotic features from her heart-shaped face which was set with two wide emerald eyes that sparkled with so much life, framed with cropped rosy hair. Sakura was the cherry blossom she was named for, in living, human form. She was sweet and compassionate, and he wanted to know more about her.

He wanted to hear everything she could tell him over dinner that night. His mouth watered when he found himself served with fried rice, a platter of different sushi, and steaming green tea. "We are going to have _mochi_ ice cream for dessert. You ever had any?"

 _Mochi_ was a rice wheat primarily fasted on by the nobility and royalty in wedding and tea ceremonies, but here it was now and enjoyed by a girl obviously in the middle class of the system. Because there was no way she was called a peasant. "I love certain kinds that were served at ceremonies," he answered. "But other than that, my father said indulging in sweets is a lowering of the guard." She frowned, as if thinking how silly a belief it was.

He was half-inclined to agree with her. Because there was no one to tell him what to do, he could do this anytime he wanted, as long as he made sure his teeth weren't going to rot. Surely there was a new invention that cleansed them.

He wasn't surprised it was updated, wrapped around something soft, icy and creamy - which was why it was called ice cream. This flavor was something called vanilla, and he liked it more than he thought he would.

Although he enjoyed Sakura's company more than just her cooking and everything that entertained them.

~o~

Tsunade Senju's flat was filled mostly with every collectible you could think of. They weren't from the museum, but replicas from across the globe. She liked to have work balanced at home without compromising. So when the day was over, she was looking forward to just getting drunk and passing out. She wanted to just wake up and forget, but it was childish and impossible.

That was what she'd said to herself and followed through with when Dan died. She drank for days on end, before a certain someone came and helped snap her out of it. And he came over at a perfect timing.

"About time," Tsunade grumbled as she let him in, wanting someone to have the sake with. "How did it go?"

"Leaving the rest of it to the pathologists," Orochimaru answered, shrugging off his jacket and hanging it on the rack. "But it possibly looks like an overdose of sedatives, like we predicted. But the results will likely take a couple weeks at best, but no more. The same goes with the examination of the remains through the CT scans. They will keep it within a cryo-preservation unit of their own until they ask for my assistance again. It's going to take some time, but eventually, they might get to the bottom."

 _Too long, if you ask me. But what can we do about it?_ "But it's likely the imposter is a victim by someone who knows a lot about mummification," Tsunade stated, picking up the bottle and bringing it over to the couch where they sat together.

He nodded. "Highly possible. Even if it was the one who organized this murder-theft, how could it have been done in a single night or even a moment?"

Unless he was wrong - unless they were _both_ wrong - then someone was a real genius to pull something like this off. "When we find out who did this, I'm going to kill them myself," Tsunade growled after downing her first cup. Orochimaru chuckled at her violent tendency.

"And get thrown in jail for assault yourself, dear Tsunade?" he asked, holding his up to hers for a mock-cheers, too late for that. "I could do the job and take the fall for you, if you like."

"I prefer doing it myself without help, thank you very much."

"Just like you didn't need my help when you went all the way out to Mt. Yudono with the team," Orochimaru said after a clear of the throat. That made her stiffen, which he noticed. He lowered his yellow eyes to the floor. "Forgive me for dredging that up. I never should have said such a thing," he said quietly.

That day which was the best and also the worst of their lives. Because it made a huge contribution and honored the one who should have been there to share it with them. An issue constantly revisited over and over which was a bad habit she'd done over the years. She did so when she saw Nawaki get run over before her eyes, and nothing could have been prevented. But sometimes she blamed herself for not keeping him close to her. Her parents had blamed her for not watching him; if Grandpa Hashirama had been alive, he would have understood otherwise.

Orochimaru, whom she'd lived next door to, had been there to run to after that. He'd also been there when Dan passed away. He was always in her life after every tragedy; when his parents died, it was her turn to give it to him. Lifelong friends they were, close-knitted.

But how come they never had anything beyond that? And why was he, of all times now, sitting close enough now to almost touch her body with his? In her apartment, just the two of them, after they lost their precious cargo.

"You always knew exactly what to say even when we were kids," Tsunade mumbled, staring at her reflection in the half-empty cup. "I thought I knew you better than anyone else - even more than I knew Dan."

That statement made him stiffen, but he said nothing. She knew what he was thinking: they hadn't become like that then, and why now? They should have been past it, but here it had come up again. Hadn't time gone by enough? Hadn't they'd seen enough people - actually her with just one man - and did so much together and for themselves that they never found a chance with each other? She wasn't a lovesick, desperate girl, because it was a rational answer she reached herself.

Orochimaru must have known it all this time but wouldn't let it come to the surface now, which made her frustrated now more than ever.

~o~

Saturday morning. Partly cloudy over sun, warm temperatures, zero chance of rain. Just the right time. Plus it signified today's events: on time when a certain someone was coming home.

She awoke to find the text message from Hinata, saying she was going to pick Sasuke up with Neji, therefore sparing her the trouble of seeing him and having an awkward first conversation. Not knowing what to say, Sakura thanked her for that and wished her luck. And if anyone deserved to greet Sasuke after better than her, it was Naruto.

Itachi insisted on the couch, so she let him have it. "It's nothing I haven't slept in before. In fact, this is tame compared to my old home," he'd said heartily as he stretched across, having kicked off his sandals beforehand. The sight was just so...cute! There, she admitted it. What he did was cute and innocent. She really liked him more than before now.

 _Just...the look of him. That long hair, his courtesy and kindness - he's nothing like his brother._

 _Or maybe it's still too early. I haven't seen his bad side yet, and I'm not sure I want to._

Maybe she was thinking like this just because she'd known his brother all her life, and he'd just come in. But he also made her feel a way she hadn't in a long time. Maybe if there really was something, it had to just be a crush, because it was fleeting more than real feelings were. But real feelings also faded after too much trouble. She didn't want a repeat to happen again.

So Sakura slept in her room while Itachi had her couch, and that night was very pleasant because for the first time, someone was in her space which was comforting in itself.

She showered before he was awake - she didn't hear any commotion outside yet, nor did she smell anything burning - and came out of her room sometime later in a dress which was loose and flattering, pushed off the shoulders, and patterned with romantic pink blooms over the white, finished with her favorite jewelry. When she reached the living room, Itachi was curled into himself beneath the blanket, his long hair pushed behind him.

Watching him sleep made her smile with more meaning than she remembered having with Sasuke. She'd loved smiling for him, but after their split, it was often forced to her knowledge.

Itachi said his old life was strict in the old ways, so he was definitely in for new things here. She had a lot to show him, but he was going to take it slow as far as she was concerned.

Opening his eyes, Itachi blinked and rubbed his eyes, getting rid of the sleep, and looked up at her, smiling when he looked her over. He was bold enough to say it: "Beautiful."

That single word had her blushing mad like an untainted maiden again.

~o~

Hinata really made the day when she danced about, excited about Sasuke coming, in the haltered lavender dress like the sweet flirt she was. Then that morning, she said she was going to meet up with Neji to head to the airport to pick up their friend.

He never had siblings, but Sasuke was more of a brother to him than anyone else had been.

Now that his girlfriend was gone, he decided to phone his dad who was at home for the day. Minato had no days off except this one. _"Naruto, I thought you'd be at the airport bringing your friend home,"_ he said, although he was happy to hear from his son.

"Yeah, Hinata and Neji are doing just that. Plus this gives me a short chance to talk to you about something that I'm wanting to ask her when we are done with the internship." Naruto sat at the kitchen island with the mobile on speaker. "I'm thinking about asking her to..." He halted because he was so excited but didn't have it in him to finish, and dear old Dad picked up.

 _"Well, my boy already thinking about it. But that doesn't surprise me. It's a good thing I kept Mom's ring..."_

So they talked and talked until he heard the door open, and the voices entered the air. "Naruto, we're here!" Hinata called, stepping into the kitchen just as he was hanging up. "Was that your dad?" she asked with a smile. He nodded - and then came the voice they hadn't heard in two years.

"Miss me, dobe?"

"Oh, you know I have, _teme_ ," Naruto answered, jumping up and running over to take the uniformed guy in his arms. "Welcome home, Sasuke!"

 **I saw the original Godzilla for the first time a couple months ago on TCM, and it was far better than most of the modern ones I watched in my life - not counting the fantastic 2014 remake. Also, Ju-On: The Grudge - is there anyone who isn't easily spooked by that if they started at a younger age?**

 **Review. :D**


	9. The Next Step Taken

**Recently I completed a three-shot called "Songs From the Heart", and I also watched Ayakashi: Japanese Classic Horror for the first time. If anyone knows it, then you know it's a piece of art. :D I especially love the story Yotsuya Kaidan, which is one of the best Japanese ghost stories of all time.**

Chapter Nine

The Next Step Taken

She used to sleep in his house with him as a teenager, sometimes when his parents were unaware, or when they were out - finally when they died. Her parents ignored her much of the time since Nawaki's death, but she'd had to make damned sure and well that they never noticed she snuck out of the house. _I used to think that behavior was for delinquents, but what else could I do?_ She'd needed someone there for her, so he was the only one she knew.

Then Dan came along, and it was him she would turn to. Her childhood friend didn't mind at all, since he knew as well as she did that newly formed couples didn't want extra people of the opposite sex to turn to, so as to prevent hopes of jealousy, she didn't go to the man she'd known since she was a girl. But it turned out Dan was more understanding than she gave him credit for.

Now that with their mummy gone, she felt she could use that tonight. She let Orochimaru stay with her, but this time, instead of him having the couch, he ended up sharing her bed with her like he did for her.

Tsunade replayed what she said to him when she thought she knew him better than just standing on the sidelines because of her. He spent his life alone after his parents' deaths, having her in his life as the only one who understood him, but went no further out of the damned complication anxiety. Working together on the Uchiha mummy and everything else after her beloved boyfriend's death brought them closer, but it was still platonic. _Sometimes I feel like I am too old, going to die alone..._

No, not on her watch. She wasn't alone, but she didn't want to spend the rest of her life the way she was now. She knew she had to do something if it was the last thing.

No plan involved was to force Orochimaru, if only she could take a step at a time. That was exactly what this was about.

Orochimaru said this: "You do know me better than that, but what can happen now, when we are in the middle of a crisis which has put everything at stake?" He'd closed his eyes. "After all these years, yes, I want to see if we have a chance, but in midst of this investigation and the damned board, I want to have it on hold."

However long that would be, and it made Tsunade very angry and resentful.

She loved staying in the shower for an inconsiderable amount of time, but she also had a guest out there. But it wasn't something he was a stranger to. She also recalled a couple times in adulthood they shared one together without touching. She remembered every line, every lean muscle from limited times of working out at the gym so not to lose his muscle structure, and how his long midnight hair would be down his back in an untangled waterfall, stopping in the middle of the spine. But tonight she had it alone, and he wanted to just keep to himself when she was done. That would give her time to get a small dinner ready. Nothing fancy, but the carry-out she called on the phone before getting into the shower stall built for two or three people at the same time.

Her favorite night robe was lined with emerald green satin, covered all over in a leopard print. It settled on her like a warm summer breeze. She had her damp hair twisted and then clipped behind her head. But staring at her reflection in the mirror, Tsunade saw a woman who looked like she was still in her twenties, without cosmetic surgery, but inside she was much older. The same could be said to her friend who was now in the place she'd exited not even a few minutes ago.

The doorbell rang, and the food had arrived. But suddenly, she felt hungry for something else rather than the food. And she heard the shower turn off. She moved quickly and put the food in the fridge. Some of it needed to be heated, the rest just plain cold.

"Tsunade? Has the food come?"

She answered back, turning around to walk back into her room - only to come face to face with him standing there, baffled and slightly scrutinizing, before yellow eyes fell over her being, taking in the well-endowment despite her age. _Ripe like aged wine,_ they seemed to say. That was all she needed to know. A long-sleeping stir slowly awoke within her core along with each step she took towards him.

"Tsunade..." He didn't get his chance to finish speaking as she descended on him, laying her lips on his. It was a simple peck before the spark flew and slowly grew into a bigger flame that expanded with each second.

The times she kissed Dan were the best experiences of her life, but this time with her best friend...how could she even compare despite how _good_ it was?

The kiss might have gotten more steamy, clouding her mind unawares, and it was over because he was the one to end it, looking her square in the eyes. Here she was in just her silk animal-print, he in only a towel which left little to the imagination, and his hair was drying but loose down his back while hers was clipped behind her head. "Tsunade." Her name was a mantra on his lips, spoken in his soft, rough hiss. "What are you trying to do to me?"

"What I should have done a long time ago," she answered, putting another on him. _For a forty-something old lady, I feel like I was back then. What a way to wake it up!_

Orochimaru's sex drive he preferred to keep to himself, but the subject of his manhood was something she was allowed to know without anything going too far, but it was changing. And by the looks of it, he was responding the way he should. As long as she'd known him, he hadn't had his attentions on ANY woman...which meant one thing at their age now, a fact that was laughable for a prepubescent teenager or even an older teen driven by hormones. He had waited his entire life for her.

Her manicured hands went to the fluffy white towel around his waist, untying it and letting it fall to the floor, just as his worked on her silk robe and did the same. Both of them were naked, and with no imperfections to be ashamed of. They broke off the current kiss and looked over for the first time in maybe fifteen years. He was still extremely pale, from lack of sunlight, and his bony curves were given more appeal with the lines of a four-pack in his stomach as well as his thighs being full if not unpleasantly out there. His waist was trimmed and jutted at the same time. And lastly: his manhood wasn't large or small, attractively crowned with dark curls. He was a work of art in himself, too mesmerizing to exist in this world.

And as for her, why did she feel like a schoolgirl again when he gazed over her with smoldering eyes? She wasn't a virgin anymore, but she still had the appearance of one. Ripe and ready for him. And by the looks of her breasts which appeared too large for her chest, but didn't _feel_ like they were. And even a glance at them from a pervert earned bloody noses and hundreds of meters worth a punch. Her hips were flared out more than his, joined together by a thin strip of pale blonde. _Both of us fine for our ages - if I say so myself._

Tsunade was burning to her skin, which nobody saw of her everyday except Dan when he was alive - and this man whom she'd known all her life was seeing her in a way that he had known better than anyone else. But there was also extreme tenderness.

And what happened that night was just that. Filled with gentleness rather than youthful aggression in which they would go like rabid dogs for the kill. Decades in the making finally unleashed. The food had been forgotten but was in its proper place of cooling preservation. She wasn't going to forget the feeling of her lifelong friend and new lover against her body, right between her legs and cradled in her molten heat.

This morning they awoke in each other's arms, at the same time her mobile went off. It turned out to be none other than Minato, with information on the desiccated remains in custody. Tsunade was on awareness, sitting upright and pulling the blankets to her chest. "Minato, what's the update?" she demanded, putting him on speaker for Orochimaru to listen. Groggily, he rubbed his eyes and stretched his bones, rolled his shoulders back and pushed his hair behind them, sliding closer and resting his chin on her shoulder to listen.

 _"Well, the good news is with the information you've given, it's not your mummy, but we have also found something extremely disturbing. The remains appear to be just as old as six centuries, but the truth is much more disturbing: our pathologist found that everything inside and out had been freeze-dried overnight. Either the night before or on the same night as your mummy's disappearance."_

Time seemed to stop for both Orochimaru and herself. "O-overnight?" they managed at the same time. She couldn't remember the last time she was this shocked. If what he was saying was true, then how in the hell did -?

 _How could it even be possible that a replacement was picked off the streets and mummified in a single night?! Does this mean we have a killer with this technique on our streets?_

Minato was still speaking. _"Still no lock on the Uchiha, but we might be able to identify the corpse through whatever DNA is left, because we couldn't find a wallet for identification. But this could take some time longer,"_ he said regretfully.

~o~

"Kyou was such a fool. He had his chance and paid for it with his life." He shook his head as he stared at the television screen of his modest but nicely furnished flat, which he owned on his own, and held a steaming cup of green tea between his bony, tanned and lined hands.

By today, this morning, the news had gotten out regarding what transpired at the museum - the museum which he should have run instead of Hashirama's granddaughter, too soft-hearted for her own good despite that exterior of fire. Despite the fact her family directly descended from the other clan that rivaled the Uchiha; the leader was too weak to make the harsh decision to exterminate the bloodthirsty clan, but it was the shogun's final say to launch the surprise attack that would end the long-lived conflict fast. Six centuries it had been, and he was the last of his own line.

And it was about time he took his action after all these years. He had to do something about that find of hers, which his ancestor left specific, clear instructions on how to deal with, and it was to leave the condemned as he was...until Dan Kato put his life on the line and found the coordinates.

Poor fool lost his chance to finish the dig and instead sent the location to none other than his colleague and lover, Tsunade Senju. The recovered mummified remains of the one trapped in this world and the next had been in her care ever since, and _he_ hadn't acted sooner because everything would have been jeopardized. He hadn't yet been on the board due to misgivings some years before, which hadn't been proven in court, and towards the last few years of the previous decade, he'd ultimately settled in amongst his former colleagues along with new ones. He was used to the scrutiny as there were those who didn't trust him, but it wasn't like he ever cared in his life other than the means to live.

Twelve years in the making, and he could strike her where it hurt most.

But for some reason, he misjudged the one he sent out despite Kyou's impressive resume. He'd had a reliable employee who reported directly to him that the Buddhist rite in the head of the Uchiha mummy casket had been accidentally torn off in midst of the attempt of removal from the cryo chamber. _Damned imbecile. I was careless in trusting him._

It also meant that with the spell his ancestor placed broken, the "last" Uchiha was loose about somewhere in HIS town. He had his work cut out for him. And there was also the matter of the mummified imposter currently in custody of the Konoha Police Department. It would be difficult to cover his tracks now that the corpse was not within his reach to dispose of before a piece of evidence was uncovered.

~o~

Konoha might have cars and bikes to get around on, but it was actually much smaller than Tokyo, so everyone who grew up within knew pretty much how everything worked - except the littlest children and young teenagers - as well as where everything was. This day Sakura decided it was nice enough to not drive around if she wanted to show her home to her new guest who seemed to be rapt at _everything_ he laid his eyes on.

"We never had anything like this in the mountain pass," Itachi said as he looked around at the different cars. "It appears...faster than we could ever walk. Or even on a litter cart pulled by four people." A few strands of his hair flew about his face, which he pushed behind his ears. _A hair tie would be the answer, but I don't have any of those for myself. I should ask Hinata or just get him a set._

"Learning to drive is a hell of an adventure," she admitted with a nervous chuckle. "I have my car, as you saw, but today is a nice day to just walk around and enjoy the entire day. You agree?"

He chuckled and looked down at her. "Absolutely. I've always fancied walks, no matter how long or short the journey. But I admit...it's tiring half the time. But it's also an opportunity to take in the sights and be aware of your surroundings," he said, a somber mist passing briefly over his eyes. "Nature and isolation from much of civilization means you have to be prepared for the worst."

He was new to her life, but he seemed to really know more about life in the primitive side than she did. "Yeah. Here is no different, but we are given a right to protect ourselves. Although it differs from city to town and rural life..." She explained to him that here in Konoha, like the capital of Tokyo and smaller urban locations, you could own handguns, shotguns and rifles as long as you had a solid reason that had to stay exactly as it was, and commonly was it the following: hunting for food and sport, and self-defense. Those in the countrysides saw it as legit because it was means to keep the spirits of their ancestors' ways alive in the present.

"Do _you_ have means to protect yourself in case you were to come across any intentional harm?"

She did consider getting a handgun for herself, but all she had was pepper spray and a shock device. A gun would be just scarier. When she told him what she had, he chuckled and shook his head, looking down at the ground - and that was when they both stopped in front of the store which sold all the best televisions and electronics there were...

...and that was when Sakura saw the news headline: **KONOHA ANTIQUITIES MUSEUM IN CRISIS**

The subtitle: **UCHIHA MUMMY MISSING**

Cold terror washed over her. The press knew about this, they were streaming on TV as well as online by now, and she wondered if Naruto and Hinata knew about this. _Damn it, now I wish I had my wagon._ But then she remembered her companion who looked at her, slightly worried, and then back to the television.

"Sakura?" Itachi asked. "What is it?"

"I..."

"Is this the museum you work?"

She nodded, turning into him, unable to comprehend what was going on. If Tsunade had to speak to these people, she must be having a "field day" in that she was dealing with these flea bags who must be wanting a juicy story, and gave the board all the more reason to be on her tail. "I want to get to the park so we can talk," she said quietly.

He nodded, letting her lead the way. She had to pick up her skirt in order to walk faster, even though this had a slit in the side. She was glad she wore sandals, but that meant she couldn't run if she wanted to. The same went for him. She let him sit down on the park bench under a cherry blossom tree which long lost its blooms in the past couple months and was only consisting of fresh green leaves. Itachi looked up as he leaned back, stretching his arms out on either side of him - one of them resting behind her - and crossing one leg over the other. She just relaxed herself and started talking.

"The night before, one of Tsunade's precious artifacts - a mummy from a long-lost samurai tribe - was stolen, and in its place was an imposter. It's possible that it could be a victim of unfortunate circumstance, but there were no fingerprints or anything to point to the perpetrator found at the scene. But for now, there is no word about the missing mummy."

"...I see." Itachi sounded like he was elsewhere, but he'd heard every word she said. He looked at her now, smiling slightly. "Will you tell me more about this mummy of yours?"

He was that intrigued that it made her feel honored. Talking about the Uchiha Warrior at a time like this seemed to help her cope. "Well, many years ago, when Naruto, Hinata and I were still kids, Tsunade's boyfriend who was also just like her had gone all the way out to Mt. Yudono because he got reliable resources and found that there was a possible finding up there that was worth being exposed to the world. He died from the arid temperatures before he could finish. Tsunade clashed with the board until they finally gave permission to let her and her team to go out to where it was...and that was when they found the mummy," she said quietly. "He was the first discovery of a samurai clan that had been extinct for six hundred years."

"Really? This wouldn't happen to be the...Uchiha clan, is it?"

Sakura felt her eyes widen. "Yes! How did you guess?" He laughed lightly.

"It's not a surprise. History has little recorded fact, and many tales of the diminished samurai clan have been told orally and others kept quiet because it's wished to forget the bloodshed of the past." _I know that is right._ He said nothing else then, but his onyx irises twinkled with something she couldn't read. He didn't interrupt her again. That made her happy to go on.

"Sometimes I wish there was something we could do to find more, but it's not like we have the power for that like any of the gods. Anyway, Naruto, Hinata and I would see him on the other side of the glass whenever we had a chance, and I remember the first time like it was yesterday. Unlike the monks from the mountains - twenty-four known, in fact - this one looked more human than the skeletal ones," Sakura breathed, feeling the clench in her throat again. "He looked like he had just been sleeping all these centuries, like he was going to wake any second - but he never did. He was the age we are now, and I sometimes asked myself: what happened that his life had to end before he could enjoy it? I know those days were warfare and skirmishes, clashes between the classes, but still!" She reached to wipe the tears at the corner of her eyes. "He was so amazing, but it broke my heart to think about him like that..."

She told him then about the information uncovered recently before his disappearance. He was twenty-one when he died, he wasn't a holy man which explained why he had been buried outside, even though present within his body were the ingredients of the _sokushinbutsu_ practice. The ice-cold of the mountain preserved everything inside and outside.

"And what's more," she whispered, looking into his eyes, ignoring that her skin was becoming a little warm on the back and shoulders, "we found traces of tears on either side of his face. He cried a minute or two before he died. Who knows what he was thinking about, or WHO he was remembering -" She lost control of herself and leaned into him, burying her face into his shoulder. His arms came to wrap around hers, comforting her, and his cheek nuzzled her hair.

She didn't notice Itachi had tears of his own and closed his eyes to keep them from falling. This was so unprofessional of her to weep openly regarding something - or someone - long dead and in her custody as much as he had been in Tsunade's.

Sakura wrapped her arms around him for dear life, needing him as a lifeline...and then it was interrupted by a voice that caused them both to freeze. Deep and baritone, but also lighter.

"Sakura?"

She quickly drew back, the man comforting her doing the same and following her gaze only to see the young man in a dark blue t-shirt and khaki shorts. His eyes widened, taking in the entire face. "Sasuke...you're back," was all Sakura could manage.

Her ex-boyfriend in the flesh. She didn't think she would see him so quickly, at a time like this. It was coincidence he would just appear and find his former girlfriend in the arms of another man, right? Itachi was looking at him without an expression, but the stun in his eyes told her everything: _his brother right before his eyes._ Now it was easy to see the similarities in their appearances, but also how different.

It was shallow to say Itachi was hotter than Sasuke, but someone else would say it out loud. And it didn't surprise her that the younger brother didn't recognize his long-lost elder sibling who searched far and wide only to come out here.

 **I knew that Tsunade and Orochimaru had to realize they are better off spending the rest of their lives together, after all these years, without getting married if they didn't want to. It's my first time doing them like THIS, so I hope it was okay. It was inspired halfway by "Wind and Windmill" by darkwings13.**

 **In terms of what Sakura says about the right to bear arms, it was once more based on research. It's a misconception that Japan bans weapons; it just varies from city to rural. The laws are extremely strict and the allowing of arms amongst citizens has mixed reactions amongst them. They are allowed to have rifles, shotguns and handguns in order to defend themselves, but they need a damned good legit reason for doing so. That includes not only self-defense, but also hunting and pest control. Though urban lives see this as a negative, those with traditional values see it as "the way of the ancestor" as to keep the warrior spirit intact.**

 **When Sakura told Itachi about the mummy - not knowing he IS the mummy - I really cried with her...and him. :'(**

 **Oh, man, Sasuke had to show up at a time like that. Let's see how it goes next time...**

 **Review please.**


	10. The Old and the New

**I just want to say for those who are waiting for the next of Allure of Darkness, I promise I'll return soon, but it appears this story is gonna be flowing more smoothly until I have more inspiration for the other.**

Chapter Ten

The Old and the New

On the television behind the window, he read the writing that said a mummy was missing from the museum Sakura worked at - _it is me._

The fear on Sakura's face when she saw the words, and then her hasty decision to tell him...Itachi wanted to know about where he was now certain he came from. Directly from her. That mummy they were speaking of was likely himself. He should be afraid of discovery, but they were looking only for a rotten but preserved corpse and not a living man walking around. He made sure of it.

Sakura led him to beneath a cherry blossom tree in which the flowers were absent, their time past. He was certain of it because the blooms lasted a couple weeks at most, in the end of March to early April. The sweet air was warm, and he leaned back on the bench to take it all in - but it was mostly her when she relaxed her posture more than him, although she was inwardly struggling because of what she saw. Her soft hair and vibrant eyes gave her visual semblance of the flower she was named after, which wasn't blooming at the present in the tree that protected them from the sun as much as it could. She wanted to tell him more about the mummy which was missing...

And told him she did.

The mummy missing was indeed himself - which she did not know - and the imposter was the one he was face to face with before he sustained for his own life. All of which she, as he said, wasn't aware of. There was no telling her reaction if she did, and it could go three ways without a happy ending:

She would fear him.

She would loathe him.

Or worse: both.

"It's possible that it could be a victim of unfortunate circumstance, but there were no fingerprints or anything to point to the perpetrator found at the scene," Sakura said. _I don't know what is with the fingerprints, but that must mean it will point to the one who did it...and it was all me. But she said there was nothing, so the trail is cold._

She told him more: she, Naruto and Hinata saw him on display when they were young children, but before that, Tsunade's lover died finding his location all the way outside Konoha, clearing the way for her after a heated, long battle with the ones she had to go through, and that was the board of directors who oversaw the activities of the museum, for notably the profits and the government. Then she and those under her ventured out to dig up what they considered the greatest find of their time.

Itachi Uchiha didn't know whether to be honored or belittled. But he was dead, and it was natural they thought he was something special, so it had to be worth something.

They said he was the first of the extinguished Uchiha samurai clan, so of course he broke headlines and became the talk of the town.

He must not have been aware of his enthusiasm - or accidental, was it? - when he spoke of the name, and she looked surprised that he knew. He was relieved she didn't ask more when he said it was best, where he was from, to not speak of a past riddled with blood best forgotten.

Itachi never thought to hear the way she explained the details of his preserved corpse, from the very first time she and her friends saw him. Something inside broke through him like a dam when she spoke of the sympathy and sadness she felt when she looked upon a face that looked more asleep than dead, frozen in time, and a young man before his prime was up. He'd missed out on so much in life that it had to end like this...

 _You don't know half of what had happened._ But he said nothing.

She must have been holding back tears, for she wiped the corners of her eyes. "I know those days were warfare and skirmishes, clashes between the classes, but still! He was so amazing, but it broke my heart to think about him like that," she uttered. He was at a loss for words despite his miracle of a composure.

The way she spoke about him - and TO him unknowingly - with such compassion and heartbreak made him feel more than just a thing of the past. She had no idea how close to right she was, even if she and those with her had only scratched the surface with the information they had, everything that he had been aware of before the darkness that overtook him...

 _Within his stomach were still the roots, leaves and tea required in his light, earthly diet. He still remembered the disgust like it was yesterday, but sometimes in the field when there was little choice, he used to eat berries and some non-toxic leaves to keep himself alive, so he'd tried to tell himself that it was nothing._

 _At the order of the one who said he was the one who could kill his clan, as he saw he wasn't like the rest of the Uchiha, but if he didn't want his beloved innocent brother to die with them, then the best way to ensure the Uchiha name wasn't tarnished for their treachery, he could become a divine being..._

 _...when he should have counted that the promise was nothing but empty._

The memory had taken him off-guard when Sakura was still talking. And it involved a crucial detail that must have shaken her foundation as well as her friends': they'd found tears on either side of his face, which told them he wept shortly before he died. "Who knows what he was thinking about, or WHO he was remembering -"

She then flung herself on him, physically shuddering in him, and his arms held on her for dear life as her arms did so...and Itachi had to squeeze his eyes shut to prevent his unmanly tear shed from falling, but his insides were against him. Because of this woman - this sweet, tender and sympathetic woman - who openly expressed that he never should have suffered such a tragic fate, even though she knew nothing about what his clan did. She understood on a level that even his own mother couldn't fathom...

He had more questions to ask her, such as if they found anything that pointed to what he was sure was still in his body, moments before his last breath, if there was anything else on his kinsmen before their "disappearance", but before he could ask, someone spoke her name.

And when they both looked up, Itachi wondered if he was dreaming.

 _Sasuke, it's really you..._

It was clearly an older version of the child he remembered, but he saw his own Uchiha features anywhere. The hair was spiked backwards like he recalled, but the roundness of childhood was gone. His _otouto_ had become a fine young man - in this life. He could feel his brother's spirit inside, laying dormant within this one's body.

What had happened to him in the last that he had to end up like this?

"Sasuke...you're back." She clearly was uncomfortable being around him, especially since she never counted on him appearing in their presence like this. Itachi had sworn he would leave him be for now since he'd gotten home, but here he was. _Is it fate bringing us together on a day like this?_

But why did it have to be in order to make Sakura uneasy, and after they were having what was called a bonding moment? "Yeah." And by the looks of it, Sasuke was unsure of himself, by the slight shuffle of his feet. "I came back not too long ago. I was going to just relax today with a stroll. I didn't think I'd see you here." Then his attention shifted to where Itachi stood, expression unchanged. "Who is this?"

Itachi fell inside. _He doesn't recognize me._ But then again, it wasn't like he expected it. However, it still made him feel broken.

Would he even have the means to make his precious brother remember him from their past life? Or would Sasuke never recall him at all? He then found himself remembering something Sakura said, about her former paramour having dreams of a time he couldn't identify...which kept the hope alive. He wasn't going to end here and now. He knew it: he had a chance to live his life, reconnect with his brother...

And that included the pink-haired woman who had been in his arms moments ago.

"My name is Itachi...Sasuke." Even saying his name hadn't changed those scrutinizing eyes. "I have heard about you as soon as I met Sakura and your friends. I arrived in town only yesterday. All the way out from Mt. Yudono."

Sasuke continued to eye him with that gaze as he was still trying to figure him out. "You came here from one of the holy mountains of Dewa," he stated, exactly the way an Uchiha would - but he went by the name of Hyuuga in this time. He didn't know who his birth parents were, didn't Neji say?

"Yes," Itachi answered. "I had no real direction as I wanted to get away from life there. It happened so that fate brought me face to face with Sakura -" He looked down at her and into her vibrant irises. "- Naruto, Hinata and Neji. I was looking forward to meeting you when chance came, but I never thought today would be so fast." His story seemed to convince his brother, but he could also see the buzz of suspicion.

It also appeared that he'd stricken Sasuke speechless now.

Sakura watched them both without a word, stunned and likely wondering if he would tell Sasuke who he really was, but no...and because the younger took a step back.

"Maybe I should just leave you both alone now. I'm sorry for catching you both at the wrong time, Sakura."

~o~

"Sasuke..." To say his name when he was in front of her, not knowing what else...

He hadn't changed much, by the looks of him - but she noticed he had more muscle than she remembered, even if he was still lean and built average. He gazed at her with shining onyx, and once it made her melt with the intensity, but now it left her reeling with unease. Whereas his brother was slowly rekindling it within her. Sasuke looked over her like he used to, and that was when she noticed how he was torn between saying something like how beautiful she looked, just like he used to, but he didn't; a tiny part of her was a little hurt, but the rest of it asked why she should care when _he_ was the one who left her. And with nothing else to say, she watched him turn on his heel to walk away down the pathway to no place he said in particular.

Sakura closed her eyes. "Oh, God." Never did she think Sasuke would appear when she and Itachi were on the park bench. But he had showed up because he wanted a simple out and about after coming back. It was like him to have time alone if he wanted to. _And he didn't think he'd run into me either._

It wasn't surprising they didn't ask each other much of how they were doing. She hated it; he did, as well. Or _at all._ And it was a surprise for sure that Itachi finally had a glimpse of his long-lost brother with his own two eyes, without telling the other who he really was just as promised.

She saw the light in Itachi's eyes. It was joy and love despite never knowing Sasuke as they grew up. Another person would say it was...creepy. But to her, it was innocent and natural that it warmed her and made her stomach tingle.

Itachi was still watching him go with a fallen face. Sad that his brother didn't recognize him; he must have noticed the resemblance somehow, and she could have sworn she noticed a fraction of that. She found herself sitting back down on the bench, and he followed. "It was him," he said softly. "Sasuke...he's just as I imagined he would be."

 _Thinking ahead before you even met him?_ "He hasn't changed much," Sakura agreed. "Although being in the services hardens a body like that - but I don't know about mentally." Because that could happen, too. With a mind like Sasuke's, could whatever experiences happened change him?

"It's likely it did," he answered, looking at her as he leaned forward. "But I could be wrong. I don't know him besides his name." He frowned then. "Sakura, you said you didn't want to talk about him and yourself before..."

Oh, right. Last night she said she wasn't ready to speak about a relationship she no longer had. Now that they both saw him, she figured now was a good time. "Well, long story short since there isn't anything to explain like a real textbook for the future," she mumbled, "Sasuke was my first love, beginning as my best friend like Naruto and Hinata. It was just like every young girl starts - frivolous and one-dimensional. But when we started high school, it turned into something more serious, and we were together for the entirety of that time. But all our lives, since we were kids, he'd had...dreams. Images, not even nightmares, but he could never understand why he had them. He might have been ashamed to get help from a therapist. I really did everything I could to support him, he did everything to make me happy in return...but in the end, it wasn't enough. It wasn't strong enough to last. He went to enlist in the army and I was going to medical school because it had been a dream my mother couldn't achieve."

He said nothing, just looked down at the ground as he took in everything she said. _He's never been in a relationship_ was what she realized then and there. A long time passed before he finally spoke.

"He had a precious woman and lost her because he didn't know what to do about his internal struggles. He must have thought he was hurting you too much, regardless of you saying everything was well, but to him, it was something else. So he left to settle it on his own - but in the end, it has solved nothing."

 **Sasuke finally here. :D Although I am still being careful with bringing to life his backstory, and I really want people to care about him rather than him just being on the side. He's not the emo brat we know from canon, but he still has attitude and is struggling emotionally. We'll see more on him in the next chapter.**

 **Sakura telling Itachi about her old feelings was inspired by a similar moment towards the end of "Vespertine" by Cynchick (one of my all-time faves of ItaSaku).**

 **Review! :)**


	11. The Learning Curve

**Originally I had Sasuke's intro and backstory thus far in the previous chapter, but I decided that it was best to have it dedicated right in here.**

 **There is gonna be trigger moments, so bring tissues and something to calm you down afterwards.**

Chapter Eleven

The Learning Curve

For the longest time, Sasuke Hyuuga's life was a mystery.

He never examined his life the way a psychologist would write out a textbook on the extense of a patient's mental status, the same with a medical doctor on benign to malignant conditions. He never looked back on anything for too long except on the things that mattered most to him. Like his family.

The Hyuugas weren't the ones who sired him, but he refused to want to know where and who he really came from, because he didn't want to change everything he'd had from the time his memory started to take in everything and everyone around him.

Hiashi was the only father he knew. He was a strict man, but he wanted the best for his children, including his nephew. But both his adopted son and Neji ended up taking different roads while Hinata ended up working for the curator and head researcher of the museum.

Hanabi, you ask? The story went in that Hiashi really loved both his daughters equally, but elder siblings were often paid more attention to than the younger. The girls' mother died when they were very young. Sasuke really cherished her like his own, because she loved her daughters, adopted son and nephew all equally - everything a mother should be. So when she was gone, he felt like a part of him had been brutally taken away. And as for Hiashi - when he lost his wife whom he loved so much, he became a little colder and distant, but he still made sure Sasuke, Neji and the girls were looked after.

The results were nothing much of what he would have wanted, beginning with Hanabi.

She had spent her time working to be acknowledged, in school with her grades, relentlessly competing with the sister she was once close with. Though Hinata was timid and bullied simply because of who she was, Hanabi owned it and chose to be the one to fight back. She had balls, Naruto said without demeaning her sister who was, at the time, silently in love with him before they entered high school.

But it all got to her eventually and took her before her time.

What happened was she ended up hanging out with the wrong crowd, and then she wound up drugged and date raped. Hinata had been with him and Naruto, and Neji had been doing his own business, all of which Hiashi didn't mind as long as they were all responsible...but when Hanabi didn't come home, that was when chaos broke out.

What happened afterwards was never the same between the family - especially between father and daughter, the latter who blamed herself when Hanabi screamed at her for being "Father's favorite", and nobody saw what came next: she took an overdose of some recreational drugs that her so-called friends smuggled for her, in her room during the late night. This had been three days after the horrible night.

Hanabi Hyuuga was not yet even fourteen years old.

Sasuke had been the one to find her like this. The time had been summer, after he, Naruto and the rest of their friends had graduated - and this was right after he told Sakura they were better being apart. To see her going too far like this...it tore him apart like it did to Hinata.

Hiashi didn't blame her; in fact, he blamed himself more than perhaps his only daughter had. Therefore the rift came naturally rather than purposefully. If you wanted to know how Sasuke and Neji dealt with it, emotional numbness haunted the former more than the latter even though Neji had means to cope, and that was to help Hinata the best he could. Because Hanabi's blame was on her instead of the boys. But for Sasuke, besides the mysterious dreams that plagued him his entire life, the death of one of his sisters he loved so much was the nail to the coffin that caused him to leave his family and friends - and the girl he loved, his first true ever - to fight overseas. He wanted something to deal with the pain even if he might die in the process. Knowing in the end what it would do to those who worried for him. _I remember HER calling me a coward for leaving like this..._

Emotional angst was what he could remember much of his life, on his part, and happiness was rare despite the people around him not abandoning him.

He was away in Kumo because they were having a civil war, and Konoha was assisting with the effort. The things he saw: the blood, the limbs and stench of gory corpses...it was rancid and wrenching to his psyche. When he looked everywhere, it took him back not only to Hanabi dead in his arms before she could be taken to the hospital, but also to the images he saw in his sleep, from somewhere in the feudal times he had no idea about.

He never had any serious injuries on his part, nor did he have brain damage or the immense desire to prove anything but only to get the job done, and he certainly never lost limbs like many of his comrades.

But he remembered one comrade, Juugo, dying in front of him, having been shot in the shoulder which separated his arm from his body and splattered blood into Sasuke's face. It was extreme and caused something in him to trigger and black out on the battlefield only to wake up on the gurney in the infirmary and being forced to take therapy sessions, before being deemed fit to return home until the next time.

Sasuke was relieved whenever his tours were up and then he'd be home. Naruto and Hinata would be ecstatic to see him. Neji also was running the bar and coffee shop he worked at after school hours, though that criticism in the opalescent eyes was present and unspoken.

It was worse to be around Sakura. With her pink hair, bright green eyes and wonderful body as well as her brains, she was the girl he never thought he'd be lucky to have. The girl who pursued him - one of many - and first got him to her when she made him a dish consisting of tomatoes, in middle school years, and that was when he warmed up to her as a real friend. It wasn't long before it was something else that they enjoyed for four years without going all the way - until spring break of junior year, using protection, and it was the best of their lives ever. If you were going to be with the boy or girl you loved, Hiashi had said sternly, you had to be responsible. Sasuke learned all of this from his father instead of sex ed in school, because it was a deprive of the parents and children understanding each other in something so private and intimate.

Sakura had her say, too. She said she wanted to wait until the right moment, and it was towards the end of the second to last year of their young lives. Then they would enjoy it from then on in the senior year, and see where it would go after graduation. She'd thought that if it was what it was, so be it. So had he, at first. But life proved stronger than love, and he hated how it worked against him.

Past aside, he decided that when high school was over, due to the unknown visions and Hanabi's loss, it was best he didn't hurt her or their friends anymore by choosing a place out of town. A decision he was slowly regretting, with a couple more years to get by. When he was done, he had no idea what job he would have afterwards. He didn't want to spend the REST of his life being away, he knew that much.

There was a small part of himself that still loved Sakura, but would there ever be a chance to renew what he'd broken himself?

This time when he came back to Konoha, it was Hinata to come and pick him up. He no longer saw the glazed grief she'd had when her sister died; in fact, there was a brighter light, telling him Naruto, Neji and Sakura had helped heal her heart - just a little. Unlike in himself. He hated himself for hurting them, but mostly Sakura. So to see her in the park after changing his clothes, which Hinata had for him, he felt what was left of his blackened heart jump - until he saw she was in the arms of _another guy_.

Awkward first words with his ex-girlfriend, then the guy who called himself Itachi claimed that he came from outside Konoha, from the largest of the trio Dewa mountains, and said Sakura, Naruto, Neji and Hinata were the first he'd met when he arrived - but how could he have no idea what to do with himself? _But from what I remember, life has to be hard up there in those mountains._

But then he said he'd been looking forward to meeting _him,_ Sasuke, whom he heard about from his new friends. Although Sasuke couldn't help but feel wary, a trait he picked up in his time away.

Why did that guy seem so familiar?

 _And why does he resemble me, but doesn't?_

He didn't have the strength to stay and ask more questions, so he had to leave as quickly as possible. Again like a scared little boy he hated to admit.

~o~

He'd laid along the couch that Saturday night when he replayed the day's events, still overwhelmed at seeing Sasuke but also a little heartbroken that this one didn't recognize him. However, it was getting milder and milder the more he swore his brother would remember him in time, and he would not use force.

He was the mummy Sakura spoke about, and since she knew every detail about him by now, that must mean she knew about the _ring_ that was around his finger. Itachi lifted his right hand to his face, to gaze at the round, flat circle of pewter that bore the carving of the Uchiha fan. Every man in his clan was entitled to this as a symbol of pride and honor.

But he had no choice but to remove it if she hadn't noticed already. When it was done and he put it in the pocket of his sweatshirt, his hand felt utterly exposed. He spent the final eight years of his life with this, soon after his clan was finished by his sword and every weapon he could fling from his belt in the dead of night. He then reached to turn that lamp beside him off and fell asleep without having nightmares like he used to.

The weekend was...very pleasant if he said so himself. He and Sakura spent the rest of Saturday walking around town, and then when the day was over, they walked back to her apartment to rest up. He hadn't realized how tired he was until they arrived back home...

 _Home._

Itachi had never called a place his home since forever. All he'd known in recent years, centuries ago, was being in the temple, laying still and chanting the Buddhist prayer while fasting on seeds, pines and _urushi_. Losing weight inside but somehow staying the same on the outside. Not seeing his beloved younger brother since he was a child; in fact, he had been forbidden from ever seeing Sasuke again if _otouto'_ s life depended on it. Everything he did was for the one he loved most, so he would live on better than he ever did.

He didn't know what happened to Sasuke back then, because the man who leaned over him in his final moments said his brother was living "well" - he heard that Sasuke was given a position in the house of an enemy feudal lord, but that was all. His pleas for more were in vain, and he was getting weaker and weaker every day. He should have moved, but the practice required stillness and being one with the earth.

Sakura even spent that evening being instructor when she showed him everything about how people lived, on this thing called a computer - a far more advanced means to gather information more than a mere archive or library, but it wasn't always reliable. This wasn't any different than his day, but it was still so much in comparison.

The two men's energy and knowledge must be the reason for his advanced understanding of modern technology.

He also learned that the currency involved use of these hand-held items called credit and debit cards. They were all used for the same thing: to pay for goods and services based on the holder's promise to the issuer for the amount in agreement. This would come from a place called the bank which revolved around having an account to grant the line of credit. And it wasn't handed freely to you, either. _Why does that not surprise me?_

If you were long-distance, you could contact someone faster than just writing letters or waiting for a response: this was through use of a cellphone, which transmitted frequency to establish connection, and it was private between you and the other person - but the companies could trace calls for intents of purpose if there was malice like stalking, harassment and so on. People had really gotten better with all of this, and that meant you couldn't get away with it even if you thought you could.

He was thoroughly impressed with all of this new stuff, even if he was ready to get a surprise.

He knew that he needed a position and a living to make, but that meant something befitting of any ronin in his day. They were the lowest of the middle class, not even peasantry, and frowned upon. But he had no idea what he would be good at in this time, since things were all too different, and the last thing he wanted to do was disappoint himself as well as anyone else.

"I'll talk to Tsunade tomorrow," she said happily, closing the computer, this one called a laptop, the name befitting since you could have it seated in your lap. Now he wanted one, but he soon learned it cost money, and if he wanted one, he had to save up. That he could live with, though there was also the urge to hurry and get it.

 _I wonder if this is called desire for something that's not truly important._

On Sunday, they were out again, this time in her car which was a maroon wagon. People used these things to get around, and he was thrilled to his core that it instilled such an exciting feeling in him! Sakura saw this and laughed, throwing her head back and letting her pastel hair ripple in the breeze; the hood was controlled to remove itself from above their heads and descend backwards until she needed it again.

You had to watch the road lights as well: green for go, yellow for slowing down, and finally red to stop altogether and let others pass by.

Seeing Sakura's pixie-like hair ripple made him remember that his hair was now tied back below his neck; she'd picked up a set of bands while they were shopping for a few garments for him to wear, and it had taken almost four hours to find him something that accommodated his waist and chest sizes. These people even had strange ways of measuring the body for clothes, and the sizes came in either numbers as well as small, medium, large, extra large and even greater to accommodate the obese. What was best: you could actually purchase them in the stores yourself or order them for delivery to your house.

Itachi couldn't help but grin and squeeze his eyes shut, after checking himself out in the mirror at one of his potential garments: a black shirt that had short sleeves and fitted to his torso nicely, while the very dark blue pants, called jeans and made of a rougher material of the name, held onto his hips without the need of the belt, which he could get if he wanted to. Because even today people rose up and down in size and weight.

He found himself looking back at Sakura, curious about her choice which was something the elders would have fainted from, but nobody complained when they looked at her. Her sleeveless red shirt outlined her small, supple curves while the black skirt reached her knees. He thought he could just watch her all day, just take her into his arms and run his fingers through her hair, to inhale her skin as well as kiss it all over including her lips...

Itachi had to stop those thoughts at once before he lost control. He didn't come back to life just to stoop low like a vermin craving for more. She didn't deserve his touch - not when he had to be sure she had the same feelings for him. He planned to wait just a little longer.

~o~

If she wanted to relive any time to spend with Itachi as well as having him as a real live-in roommate, she gladly would. She didn't YET regret having him with her, and if he didn't want to talk anything else of his hard past, she wouldn't make him. _But he'll have to sooner or later. That's what people do._

She was at work again, and that was when she and Itachi joined with Naruto and Hinata, both of whom were glad to see him, as they went to meet with Tsunade in her office. They'd heard no more notices of the faux corpse over the weekend, and what their superior had to say was relaxing: it wasn't their man at all, but it was still disappointing because they asked each other how much longer they would live without it.

They would get the word back as to who the imposter was in maybe a few more days, and she couldn't wait. Just for the sake of it. "Dad is still optimistic," Naruto said, "so I am, too." Hinata agreed with him, and relieved she wouldn't have to see the corpse again - anytime soon. "My girl passes out among dead bodies in front of her," he explained to Itachi, "just like the first time when her sister died."

"Naruto," Sakura warned, seeing the Hyuuga's face fall a little, "that's something she should say on her own."

Hinata nodded, but she said, "It's fine. Itachi, I lost my younger sister some years ago. She was too young, and sometimes I feel it's my fault no matter being told it wasn't..." Itachi gazed at her with sincere sympathy, but he held back whatever words he wanted to say - or so the pinkette thought.

"I know what it's like to have someone you love and then lost. Even if I never knew my brother in life."

Nobody said anything to that, not even Sakura. What was there to say? It looked like Naruto was becoming suspicious; it was just like him. Hinata's eyes were misted as she was stricken by someone who understood her so well.

Here they were now, in Tsunade's office, and Itachi was right behind them all, waiting for the woman to stop speaking so introductions would be made.

"I was told by the board that if we don't get him back, it means that we have to somehow find a replacement, or at least close it once and for all but keep the other artifacts that came with," Tsunade spat, eyes ablaze. Which then turned past them and saw Itachi. Instantly a smile broke out on her face, the mood swing giving a little lash that changed everything in a heartbeat. "Sakura, this is Itachi, is it?"

"I am," he answered, "and it's a pleasure to meet you, Tsunade."

"Well, I would love to have a better time to discuss with you, but from what Sakura has told me, you were born here but lived much of your life at Mt. Yudono. I don't know if I want to ask, because I've been there and therefore know what life is like there. I suppose I understand why you would escape and come all the way out here without much to carry."

Itachi nodded. "Because I learned my brother is here. I wanted to meet him, get to know him and reconnect. And then I made some new friends. But I confess I have no idea what my place would be here," he said with a slight tilt of the head forward.

Tsunade hummed, then looked down at the many papers in front of her. "I'd let you in as one of us, since we have training programs and interns, because you might have an interest in this field, but we'll have to see about that. As a start, take a look at this." She pulled out one of the many photographs of the Uchiha mummy, holding it out for him to take a look. "He was the find I had to trample over for, for a late colleague's sake, but recently he was stolen from under our noses. The police are still investigating. We call him simply the Uchiha Warrior. The very first of the extinct samurai clan who brought a change in our lives."

Itachi took the picture from her and held it in both hands...and that was when Sakura saw it. He couldn't stop looking at the entire head-to-toe shot of the dead man who looked like he died only the previous day, was more human than the skeletal-like monks recovered from the holy trio mountains.

 _That look on his face...it's of pain and distance._

 **Itachi's learning and understanding of the modern world was...I really don't know how to explain how he was able to get it so quickly. The energy of the two he consumed just goes without saying, I suppose. Science and the supernatural don't mix even in today's standards.**

 **Information regarding credit and debit cars, even cellphones, all from Wiki.**

 **There's gonna be more on Sasuke coming up next. It's been hard for me to write ALL of it at once. :'( Because of the feels.**

 **Review. :)**


	12. The Greatest Find

Chapter Twelve

The Greatest Find

 _This...this is me._

This unnatural human form in black and red, preserved but unmoving. The face framed by gray-tinted hair, relaxed as if sleeping, with both hands gently crossed over himself. Resting in a casket of oak, possibly. All eyes were on him, but he felt like he was transported out of his body and elsewhere. This was how he'd been in the last six hundred years.

"Itachi, is something wrong?" Hinata whispered, avoiding looking at the picture because of what her beloved had said, regarding her sister.

"No," he answered quickly, loathing lying, "but I can't believe I am looking at someone starting their life and ending so quickly." But he'd known his life was over even before it began. He'd started throwing kunai and shuriken before he could even learn to read. He was put in with the ranks when he was only eleven and had mastered so much that it was abnormal for any young child to learn a weapon before they could learn anything. But for as long as he could remember, he wasn't ever an ordinary child.

Which was also why he wanted Sasuke to avoid those horrors.

"That's what we all said," Naruto grumbled. "What's worse: why did it have to happen to him? Nobody deserves to die so young!"

Itachi closed his eyes to that.

Tsunade was eyeing him intently, but her words from before replayed in his psyche: _"He was the find I had to trample over for, for a late colleague's sake, but recently he was stolen from under our noses. The police are still investigating. We call him simply the Uchiha Warrior. The very first of the extinct samurai clan who brought a change in our lives."_

So, no one bothered naming his grave, which shouldn't have surprised him. The one responsible made sure of it, eager to make sure he was never found and forgotten. So no one mourned him or would care. _And that means Sasuke must have never found me. Otherwise I would have been given proper burial and never would be here now._

But on second thought, he never would have met these amazing people - or see Sasuke in this life again.

It was then that Tsunade asked Sakura to let him take a look at the history of the Uchiha, little as it was, in the textbook she owned at her apartment. The pinkette answered she would, but there was no time to take him back to the house; that meant Itachi had to take himself back with the key she'd given him on Sunday that matched hers. It was nothing he couldn't handle. He thanked them all for this, looked forward to meeting Tsunade on a time she chose since she was a busy woman and was facing trouble replacing the mummy she'd lost. _Without knowing he is standing before her._

Itachi found himself facing a revelation she didn't have to speak aloud: she was a descendent of the Senju, and therefore because of her family history with his and not just because of her lover and colleague dying before he could be the one to bring the remains to the museum, it was her responsibility to care for him. He was like a child she never had and didn't live. He didn't know what to think or feel, because she certainly didn't treat him like a trophy.

For her to know he was out of her hands - Itachi wanted her to know he was here, but that would mean giving away his identity. He didn't know what to do to ease her conscience; he had his work cut out for him. The best solution he could think about was working for her, learning from her, Naruto and the girls. He never gave up even if it was hopeless.

So, he didn't get to learn more about himself because the well-endowed woman said that there was work to be done. That meant her pupils had to get to their stations. "See you later," Sakura told him as they left the woman's office. A faint pink blushed her cheeks when she looked him in the eye, then broke it and joined her friends as they turned down a corridor. He watched them go, then turned his attention away to look around the place he'd "lived" in all these years - twelve in the last.

Some of these items he found himself gazing upon were primitive weapons, one of which he remembered being influenced by the Chinese, but it wasn't like Japan was outside proximity with the country. It was for this reason his nation was familiar with gunpowder as armament; therefore, firearms came about around 1270.

Itachi found himself staring at a relic that was the iron cannon _teppō_. Behind a medium-sized glass window, the framed scroll stating it was one of the earliest that was manufactured. But now, even in this day like his own, these were hardly worthwhile with the absence of triggers.

He found himself staring soon at a matchlock gun that had been one of those from his time, and it was in rusted but otherwise impressive condition. It was quite bulky and tiresome for some; he wasn't even big enough to hold his own either.

The display of every sword from the katana to the _wakizashi,_ shuriken and kunai to bo and _naginata_ pole-arms - everything was there in one entire wall from the Edo to the Heian and Kamakura periods. He was looking at pieces of parts of his own life in the walls - but it was his latest and maybe his final stop that made the entire difference, tilting his world to the side, threatening to whip it upside down.

 _My...my sword and flask. And the vase that was in our family for ages. They're the same as the last time I saw them..._

"Ahem, I beg your pardon, but hands are not allowed on any display - much less the one belonging to one significance that was robbed from our noses."

His eyes shifted first then to the blackened, head-to-foot long section that had to be where he'd been, and then turned around to the source of the voice. He was a tad stunned at the man's appearance. The person had the resemblance of a snake, the cheekbones pronounced and the lips thin. He was extremely pale, with golden yellow irises and slitted pupils, purple lining around the eyes. His raven black hair was long and loose, reaching his waist and some falling over his shoulders. He was smiling rather pleasantly, but the frown was heard in his tone. Itachi removed his hand from the glass he had no idea was there as he'd been lost in thought.

"Forgive me," he said. "I had no idea. It's my first time being in a place like this. I'll be sure to remember for next time."

The man chuckled. It was the kind of sound that made your nerves ripple with mixed reactions. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Orochimaru. I am the museum's toxicologist and a colleague of Tsunade's. I was a member of the team who examined that one -" He nodded at the curtained exhibit. "- when he was first brought in. It was one of the most powerful experiences we've had." Then his eyes sparkled. "Oh, that's right, I remember seeing you now. You are a friend of Sakura's, am I right?"

Itachi nodded. "New friend, actually. We only met. I'm Itachi," he said, bowing his head once. "And forgive me for being rude, but I was just leaving for the day. Although I was told about this one you speak of." He turned his attention back to his adopted resting place which wasn't like any other.

"Yes," Orochimaru agreed, coming to stand beside him. "But did you hear about the possible cause of death out of everything else?"

"...no."

"That information was acquired the night he was stolen, just hours prior. This is a method that I once used when I was still a member of the toxicology department for the police force in my much younger days; I generally used it in studying the causes of death for young men and women in their prime. Typically, it's picking up fluids to identify in their systems. In this case, I found high concentration levels of sake in the poor youth's system. It highly indicates he was..."

Itachi finished it softly, almost inaudible to his own ears. "Murdered," he finished softly. _Sakura forgot to mention that to me, but they are all right. Only they can't ever know who did it. It's impossible._

"Indeed. If only it could be solidly confirmed, but those days were far less advanced than today," Orochimaru said, almost sadly. "I sympathize with the fellow, but we all do. The ones before him - the monks - deserve the same pedestal, but this one was the first to be far different from them. We have evidence that he attempted the _sokushinbutsu_ , but it seems he never made it. Someone sped the process and took his life from him so impatiently and ruthlessly."

If only the man could realize he was talking to the mummy who was once behind the glass.

~o~

When he returned home, he had no place to stay, but Hinata had saved some of his old belongings from the home they used to live at under Hiashi's roof. But he couldn't move in with her and Naruto because there wasn't another room, and he was too modest for the couch even though he could handle it. He didn't want to be a burden on them than he'd already been.

He didn't have it in him to ask Sakura because of obvious reasons. Although he was sure there was still that kind and forgiving side since he didn't have to spend more than a moment to look in her eyes - but besides that was a guarded wariness when they looked upon him as they noticed he'd changed but also hadn't. That was only the surface she glimpsed; she had no idea about internally.

When Neji regarded him as soon as they were inside his flat, the air was thick with tension. Although he understood his adopted brother for the longest time since they were children, he halfway resented Sasuke for just up and leaving the way he did.

And that meant a lecture as soon as he was settled in.

Being around his brother wasn't something he couldn't handle. And he knew what the pearl-eyed man would say, because it was what his therapist abroad had recommended, and that was why he was here. He was back at the flat at the end of the day when Neji was coming home after closing his bar at the same time. Night had fallen by then. On Fridays and Saturdays, he would have the place open until nine PM. And today was Monday, which was the start of the week and Neji finally telling him to get the help he needed. That meant a call to the one whose compassionate heart mended many, but could Kurenai really do the trick with him who likely had PTSD with all the things he saw?

"You're not going to know unless you try," his brother said coolly, which was one attitude trait they shared in common. "Might as well seize the chance. The sooner the better."

 _Yeah...I'm tired of living like this. I'm tired of seeing everyone around me hurt because I'm avoiding them._

Anything to take his mind off of wondering what to do in order to reconnect mostly with Sakura - and to stop thinking about that Itachi guy who gave him that sensation. The feeling that said he was certain the man was familiar, but couldn't pinpoint when or where...

Neji had two rooms at his place, and he was just all too willing to have him live with him. Although Sasuke wasn't going to spend his time lazing off on the couch. When he was done with his service terms, maybe his brother would help him find a spot.

He considered asking him for a place in the bar, but he wasn't sure. There was still strain between them as it was. Just being around Neji wasn't going to be enough. Although, looking at him the way he was now - and the fact he covered the **X** on his forehead with that headband - Sasuke decided that following in someone's shadow wasn't going to be the answer. _He was going to work for his uncle before he decided to fight back. He blamed him for what happened to Hanabi. Neji did this for himself, and he enjoys his life. But he didn't run away like I did._

He wasn't going to ask Hiashi for anything either. His remaining daughter and nephew chose to have nothing to do with him after Hanabi's death, so why should HE waste his time? Even if Hinata worked at the museum where he was one of the main benefactors and a member of the board of directors.

At this rate, he was going to run out of options.

~o~

Well, nothing bad in the day happened, Naruto had to say. And he had to just go about it as if it were any other. It wasn't healthy to obsess over one thing for too long.

Hinata brought up at one point that she was on the verge of crying when she saw Itachi's gaze as he beheld the photograph of their man. But he didn't get to hear more because Granny Tsunade wanted them all to get back to work. That was when a delivery came in, and it had been brought in by none other than Sai the messenger boy himself. Iruka was out in Kawa Country, having needed the adventure finally, and Naruto wished him luck in that country which was between here and Suna. The land of rivers was hardly inhabitable save for a couple small towns called the small artisan Takumi and a larger known as Tani, meaning it was hidden in valleys. The famed Curry of Life shop was a main tourist attraction even if it wasn't overt.

And because Kawa was mostly valleys and rivers, even mountains, that meant many possibilities of something being found out there. It wasn't known for its histories preserved as well as Konoha and its neighbors, but there were many possibilities that people hardly paid attention to these days. Back in the feudal days, Takumi was once a place where every weapon was forged, but when wartimes were over, their services weren't needed anymore.

It was when Iruka and his unit were in the mountains around it, and it was a happy accident when they were rock-climbing to places that hadn't been attended to in years - and that was when they found IT one day.

The next greatest find in years that was tied to none other than the Uchiha clan, complete with photographs taken and written reports, all from the day before the Uchiha mummy disappeared and had taken three days to reach the museum by mail.

The letter was addressed to him and Hinata personally, knowing they were trusted more to deliver this to Tsunade. And what was inside was a great dream come true and a better road within their current problems. "Well, ha!" Naruto said happily to his girlfriend who beamed. "A light at the end of the tunnel yet. Granny is gonna be happy to know about this."

 _ **Teppō**_ **was definitely an early, primitive form of a gun, founded around 1270 Japan as it appeared. But they were hardly impressive and lacked the triggers modern arms do. The info in Itachi's mind was paraphrased somewhat from Wiki.**

 **In the medieval period, the matchlock was commonly used in especially the army of Oda Nobunaga in 1549, ordered 500 for his men. Although the use of the arms was questionable and was therefore cumbersome more than the use of bow and arrows.**

 **Kawa Country - the Land of Rivers. Home of the first and eventually abandoned Akatsuki hideout in canon, as well as the Curry of Life Shop in the anime. :)**

 **Well, now, what could Iruka have found in the letter that he had to tell Naruto and Hinata himself before Tsunade? :D Wait for the next chapter and find out. REVIEW TOO.**


	13. The Long-Lost Now Found

**I was submersed with the Re-Animator trilogy, a wonderful trio of horror movies with a neurotic scientist attempting to revive the dead using a special serum. Inspired by the story by H.P. Lovecraft and stars fan favorite Jeffrey Combs. :D I'd done many fics for the fandom a couple years prior, with a couple new shots from a good short while ago, and it's a special part of my heart that returning to the franchise for the day was invigorating.**

Chapter Thirteen

The Long-Lost Now Found

Heading home was a bit of a journey when he was leaving the museum, the conversation with Orochimaru in his memory. _In the name of the gods, in my short time here, everyone sympathizes with me when they only know so much and no idea who did this to me._ Now he didn't know if he could take this knowledge about himself when there was so much more to care about in this life. It was all right in front of him.

He smiled at the people he passed by; they returned the gesture. And it was then he found himself looking down at their phones in hand, having been told that they had maps to guide themselves back home. He found himself on a corner where a young man with dark brown hair and in gray clothing was waiting for the sign post to change color for him to walk the street. Itachi had the courage to ask him for directions when he told him where he was going, having paid attention to the directions and streets so he knew where Sakura lived - but when it came to asking for the map, he got a scowl of distrust.

"If you want directions, call a cab."

"Excuse me!" But the man was turning and walking forward as the light across the corner changed. He tried to follow him, but he stopped when logic reminded him that going too far meant getting nowhere. So he stopped to wait for what was suggested of him. What had happened? All he wanted was to just get back to the place he already called home, and this was what he got. It was then that he looked up and saw a yellow car labeled "cab" coming his way, and he had to wave it over. It stopped as the light turned red, providing him with his opportunity. Itachi wasted no time going over and gently hitting the window to get the driver's attention. This provoked the man, who looked dark-skinned despite being Japanese, unless he wasn't local.

"Hey, friend, watch where you are going! Are you trying to catch a ride at a time like this?" he demanded.

Itachi nodded. "Yes. I'm in a hurry to get to this address..."

So he told Sakura's living place, and the conversation in the car was very short after he was asked to get inside before the light changed to green again. And then he checked to see how much money he had in the wallet in his pocket, because the mileage depended on each price a minute. That meant the driver would have to drop him off at a certain spot for him to walk the rest of the way. He could live with that; he enjoyed his walks anyway. Even if there were still strange things he needed to know and accommodate to.

"Thank you, friend," he said, returning the favor and giving the money which was about half of what he had in possession.

"Have a nice day!"

Oh, what a delight to feel the sun on his skin! Itachi took an inhale of the fresh spring air, looking around at his location. This neighborhood - if only he was born in this day and age rather than back then. But there was no sense complaining over what could have been. _Except I only wish Sasuke and I had both lived properly and happily the way brothers should have, in more peaceful times like this._ He hadn't heard of any current wars, but there was always conflict no matter what era. He wanted to know about world issues, even the outside. He could spend the rest of the day looking through Sakura's texts and the Internet; she wouldn't complain if he wanted to learn.

But he swore, since the computer operated on power which increased her electric bill, that he wouldn't spend it all day. He could take one day at a time. He had plenty of it.

He took in the smooth, paved roads painted with colors of white, red and yellow. The many sign posts pointing out different streets, buildings and complexes. The endless overhead wires connected to posts, which was cable, telecommunication and power in one.

Itachi had been stealth as a ninja even though he was a samurai in the day, so he should have seen where he was going - and he'd run into one of four men who were around his age and clad casual. He saw the look in their eyes when he glimpsed into them, and they saw him as a potential prey. They were a gang looking for someone to rob, but for what purpose? Fun and games? Desperation? Either way, he had no time to understand when one of them spoke.

"Well, who do we have here? Someone who should have watched where he was going. Boys, looks like we got lucky."

Their location was near an alleyway, and that was where he found himself - one on either side of him, taking him brusquely by each arm to the point of bruising - slammed up against a wall. He grunted at the burst in the back of his skull and behind the shoulders, but he refused to let it get to him. Itachi then realized what was going to happen that didn't involve _just_ robbing him when he found his wallet being taken from the back pocket of his jeans. Not only were the bills taken out, but so were the credit cards that he never used - _because the original owner is dead, and they will trace to me if I use it -_ and that was when the one holding them dropped his jaw and widened his eyes, before that shock turned immediately into anger and rage.

"Guys, this all belongs to Kyohei. Man's been gone since Friday, so maybe this bastard's done something to him. Why else would he have his shit on him?" he sneered. "Tell me, where did you really get this?"

Itachi kept his lips sealed and his teeth clenched tightly. That earned a slap to the face, turning it to the left side. The pain he had before, so now was nothing. Although he forgot how sensitive it made his skin after awhile. No answer the second time, he was facing the right, and he was certain his flesh was going to loosen if this was kept up. "Oh, well, boys," his assailant declared, "if he won't talk this way, then let's do it another way. Leave this to me, and then you can have your turn..."

It was then that the Uchiha realized his true intentions, seeing this in that he was working on getting his pants opened, and he acted on instinct. His leg bent at the knee and lashed out to kick the leader, sending him backwards against the other brick wall. His body surged forth with an immense power that had awoken with his anger and defense, the need to protect himself. His fists were on the attack as the others came in his direction.

It seemed that eight years of being in the shrine hadn't dampened his old strength - or had it come back on a heightened level now that he was a creature caught between this world and the next?

If he kept pounding at them, they would just pick themselves up again. Why couldn't they just stay down as if pierced throughout their bodies with as many human-sized nails as there could possibly be? _That would be the day..._

But then, Itachi noticed something off that he hadn't before: all four, when they were picking themselves up and looked at him, had remained frozen in their places as if paralyzed. The expressions of fear on their faces...what had he done to them that warranted such a position?

 _Either way, I can't remain here. I have to get away before someone finds us._

He was running away from the site and in the direction he was going for to safety, intent to get away as fast as he could, unaware that he had been watched by someone with malicious intent.

~o~

Finally, she got some good news today!

And it had to come from Naruto and Hinata of all people, the former being boisterous as ever that she had to crave a drink at a time like this. "Oi, Granny, you'll never believe this! Iruka sent this to us so we could give you! Might as well turn all that's bad around - at least for now!" He'd thrust the envelope with the letter atop right in front of her.

 _Iruka, and while you and the guys were out being leisure...a happy accident just like they say._

It had been some years since she'd been out in the river country, but oh, the memories of the Curry of Life! Their spice-and-wine combos were the hit-the-spot! She wasn't going to forget that one time that made Orochimaru not himself at all, and that was when he was all up and energetic more than usual - and sometimes drunk off his heels. And who could forget the artisan spot which had been a weapons factory in medieval times until the wars were all over? _It's still there, but nowadays the weapons are made as collectibles._

And who would have guessed something ancient and long-lost was up in those mountains by chance?

The photographs were explicitly taken of every detail down to the last miniscule that she let Naruto and Hinata stay with her and look them over, assuming they hadn't thoroughly checked once reading Iruka's letter and report. A shrine inside a mountain cave, who would have guessed? And when Yamato had nearly lost footing, causing some rock to fall out of the place and create a hole large enough for the naked eye to see something was INSIDE. The explicit shots in the photographs were superior to any other she could recall seeing.

The Buddha in rusted gold, sitting in meditation, surrounded by empty incense bowls and burnt out candles, but it was in their center before the divine being the main focal point that was none other than a vase. Lavish with wine-red that seemed to change color in lighting, but it was also sprawled about with white camellias and golden leaves, the handles being ivory like the lid...but besides the flora was what gave away as to WHO this was dedicated for.

 _The red and white fan of the UCHIHA._

"We just...we just might as well have hope yet!" Tsunade jumped to her feet, slamming both palms flat on her desk, overcome with immense joy and enthusiasm. "Another lost Uchiha on display!" _Even if it's not the one we lost. But if we can get this one, he isn't going to be for nothing. Two Uchiha found is better than nothing..._

If Dan were here, he would be just as enthusiastic as the rest of them.

In the previous photograph before this was a dusted old trunk, barely six hundred years old at the very least, and inside was none other than _samurai armor._ The rectangular torso plates were maroon as were the shoulder plates; the rest of the softer garments were dark blue. Present were various weapons you would see of samurai and ninja, including a great katana bearing the crest on the base of the hilt.

What made the greatest difference was the name carved into the bottom of the vase which could be an urn, but the only way to confirm was to bring it back for careful analysis: **うちはマダラ**.

 _Madara Uchiha._

She was just on the verge of losing her control when she heard the door open, and Hinata saying she would go get Sakura and Orochimaru to see. Naruto stayed behind, right beside her and had to insist that she stand straight even though he was losing his wits on the positive side just like she was. "Naruto, get on the phone and tell Kakashi to send more agents out to secure the site until we can bring every item in crates. I'll deal with the board, as much as I hate to."

"Right away, Granny!"

They had found the missing tomb of the last head of the clan himself - the one her great-great-grandfather, whom her grandfather who built this museum was named for as an honor, had fought and proposed the failed truce - and it was going to take at least a few weeks of research before it would all be on display and celebrated opening night.

It got her deciding that this would be something Itachi would be fascinated by, if she decided he was going to be under her wing. He had to show his chops, too.

The girls arrived, Sakura wasting no time picking up a couple of the photographs, and that left Orochimaru coming around to gaze down into her eyes without shame but still restraining. They yet had to tell the hatchlings about their new relationship, but right now, he was reveling in this possible victory for all of them.

~o~

When she got back home to Itachi, she really felt like celebrating, but it was Monday. She, Naruto and Hinata at first talked about doing that tonight, but it was the first day of the week for them, so no going overboard at Neji's. Perhaps Friday, like last week, but they could also use more hands if Itachi wanted to go back there with them. If she didn't know any better, she'd say that due to living a life in a monastery, he was a prude, no offense intended.

A shrine to Madara Uchiha, the last head of the samurai clan, was found by accident that brought them more luck than they deserved. To even look at it through photographs - was it a dream or something?

Sakura couldn't wait to tell Itachi, but she also wondered how Tsunade would fare before those old windbags she loathed and tolerated at the same time.

When she got home, there was Itachi in front of the television, and placed in front of him were a couple of her textbooks - one being the old medical text she kept from med school since she dropped out, the other she was certain containing the brief, basic info on the Uchiha clan. "Learn anything?" she asked, closing and locking the door behind her. It made her smile to see him enjoying himself even if it was something studious, but that was also her. He looked up and smiled back when he saw her standing in front of him.

"Very insightful that I have no idea where to start," he said, chuckling. "I've been through them ever since I came back. How was your day?"

"Maybe it's the best day ever," she answered, sitting down beside him after dropping her handbag. "A friend was out with coworkers, recreationally rock climbing in River Country, when it was accidental that they found one of the greatest finds ever, and it could be the big one just like our missing mummy had been..."

 **The name of the guy whom Itachi sucked the life out of (the second person right after the burglar) came from Steve Blum's character in Durarara! - without being the same guy in here. I thought it was the best I could come up with in the moment.**

 **Also, early on in the story in terms of Tsunade reading that text on her family and the Uchiha, there was a "Tamotsu Senju" in place of Hashirama. I had it like that because I never thought it possible her grandfather could have been named for his ancestor which is indeed an honor, so today I rectified that mistake, and I also went back to the third chapter to change the Senju head's name to Hashirama. :D Error corrected and everything in place.**

 **You know what I am gonna ask you all that makes a day every time I post. :D**


	14. The Confessions of a Drop Out

**I'd been doing the first story in a brand new series, Woman of the Snow (first in the Konoha Kaidan Trilogy). Tells of NaruHina with the myth of the legendary snow spirit herself. There is one chapter left in it, but here I bring what's worth the waiting. :D**

Chapter Fourteen

The Confessions of a Drop Out

 _An era where samurai clans fought the right to exist, their lords among the other, and the peasants caught in the middle whether by purpose or accident. However, the lower class possessed the right to defend their homes and even take advantage of the warfare, thus becoming ninja, whether by freelance or hire._

Now that was not all the information, which spoke about the facts the Uchiha were no different than other samurai of the day: they were privileged, carried a crest and the best weapons. Even those with names of certain families today were treated with great respect. Although their code of honor was strict in the sense that you were to take your own life if you couldn't live with the disgrace. Their women were considered their partners and the mothers of their children, so they were adherent to following the same codes of honor. Although there were wives and daughters within who didn't always get to go out and fight beside their men; she was expected to learn the tricks of the trade. _Mother was one example. She was perhaps too wise to live under the same roof as my father who didn't always listen to her._

Sasuke was too young to learn to wield the sword, unlike himself, but someone must have taught him later in life? If only history wasn't so scarce for them except on certain key events, with little to show for. If only his people didn't care to protect TOO much of their privacy, now that he thought about it.

He found this paragraph which detailed both his clan and the other's which was none other than Tsunade's heritage: _The Senju and Uchiha clans were feared above all others, pitted against each other more than they were with their surrounding enemies and allies. Blood was spilled on both sides every day. Then one day, Hashirama, the feudal lord of the Senju, proposed a truce to Madara, leader of the Uchiha._

Now, this made him remember the day like it was yesterday. He was only twelve years old, and of all people, he'd been selected to do the job when the hours were late and few would be up at the time. His shogun general was a cruel man who did things his way, no matter what it took or how it looked.

He was only a child then - but no ordinary child. He was only four when he saw relatives, friends and family die before his eyes...and he killed a man for the first time when all he did was try and help by giving the man water. He hadn't known the fellow was an enemy on his own soil until he saw the crest which his father pointed out, said this was war. It was as simple as killing people who belonged to one territory, innocent or not.

This was what he never wanted for Sasuke, so he was happy his _otouto_ had been born when fighting was over.

His clan were under the Shimura family's rule. And their latest descendent was the worst of the lot, especially when he had them hired and competing against the Senju clan who belonged to no one but each other and were renowned for their benevolent nature. That was when he was twelve when his grandfather, Madara, and Hashirama Senju met to propose a truce in order to end the long-lived conflict - something the Shimura disapproved of and decided in order to keep his own hands clean, because the Uchiha were too feared to be trusted...

 _My clan were considering breaking free from his hold, so he decided they were too dangerous to be kept alive...so he thought I would be the one to finish them off, but he also used his own separate men to help finish the job. They were ninja who finished in the darkness._

Itachi fought to hold back his swelling emotions as he remembered how everything went so wrong. How could the negotiations fail - no, how could his people just be wiped out before anything could happen?

Not just by himself, but the shadowy ninja since he was only one person?

The lord of the village told him afterwards that since he wanted his innocent little brother saved, there was one way to salvage himself if he didn't want word to get out that he was the one who murdered his clan: to undergo the practice of mummifying himself into a divine being in the next life. And he'd not been prepared for the excruciating fate that awaited before that...

...before his former master appeared and told him how his brother was doing now, when he had reached the age he was now - and his life ended there. He had no time to protest, no time to scream, but all that was on his mind was Sasuke and knowing his brother was living a harder life than he'd wanted. And the gall to mock him when he said the boy was suffering because he wanted his brother whom he had been so close with!

Itachi's last thoughts - _Sasuke_ \- and the tears that fell down the sides of his face were all he remembered, and the smell of the alcohol as the cloth was pressed over his mouth and nose, his body and will too weak to fight now...

Now he awoke in this world after six centuries. It hadn't felt like it, but there was so much more in this world to offer for him.

He had to push that damned book away, which did little justice to knowledge of his old life. In a way, he was glad the people would never know about his existence, but would he be able to keep it up? It was still too early to tell, and he had to learn all he could so it would work out.

Right now, he had to recall the effect he left on those men in the alleyway - at their faces and body languages. All he knew was that he thought of them experiencing a pain beyond their comprehension, with as many life-sized needles as there could be, and it would go on as long as it would take to render them paralyzed...and then it hit him without hesitation.

 _What if they looked at me and my eyes did the trick?_

Loathed as he was to admit it, he needed some help with this, but where would he get it?

He wanted to spend more time looking online, but besides the power bill and the laptop battery, he wanted a fresh perspective, so he decided a break was in order. Instead he took his time to read through the medical textbook Sakura owned. She'd said she'd once gone to try and become a doctor, but she left after the first year. And did her parents had disapproved.

He couldn't even choose his own destiny lest he be disgraced. It amazed him that you had the choice today. He admired her more than before. Independence besides her unique beauty, her intelligence and compassion attracted him to her even more.

He read the entire book, took mental notes - that was his gift to the day - and heard the door open at a later hour he'd lost track of because everything about the human body was so much more advanced compared to the primitive ways. "Learn anything?"

He raised his eyes to her and smiled when she did. "Very insightful that I have no idea where to start." He chuckled. "I've been through them ever since I came back. How was your day?" he asked, watching as she came to sit beside him and drop her handbag.

"Maybe it's the best day ever. A friend was out with coworkers, recreationally rock climbing in River Country, when it was accidental that they found one of the greatest finds ever, and it could be the big one just like our missing mummy had been."

An accidental find in Kawa? He had never been there, but he heard it was the location where every samurai clan purchased their weapons, but was the shop still there? "Whatever was it?" he asked, and her smile broke out into a grin.

"A shrine dedicated to none other than the last leader of the Uchiha - and with an urn of his ashes, likely."

Itachi felt himself swell inside. They had found his grandfather Madara's resting place. It didn't surprise him that within the mountains outside Konoha would be the first or even the last place to look. _They found him._ He wasn't sure what had happened to the old man after the clan was destroyed, because who could ever easily take out the great Madara Uchiha? And yet he'd been buried in the mountains of the river lands. He'd been burned to ashes, but who had done it?

 _Does he have a seal like I had?_ "What else do you know?" he questioned, turning his body around to face her fully. She did the same.

"Nothing much yet. But we also found a trunk filled with his armor and weapons. There wasn't much else besides the statue of the Buddha. Somehow he was separated from his clan when they disappeared. It leaves many possibilities. The man was fearsome in the day; it was even said his younger brother was killed by the younger brother of Hashirama Senju - Tsunade's great-great-grandfather - before the truce was proposed."

More than that was said. Madara never forgave Tobirama Senju for cutting down Izuna in battle. Young Itachi vaguely recalled the words like it was yesterday...and then he stood up despite being only a child and saying that the feud had gone on long enough. Nobody knew that outside, because who would often listen to the words of a child?

His grandfather and father watched with pride, whereas Hashirama was amused and thrilled that someone agreed with him and his brother simply thought that a child couldn't know anything besides what he heard.

Itachi's response: _"Child as I am, I saw my own kin and many friends fall in front of me when I was merely four years old. It took my innocence away. I don't want my innocent little brother to grow up in this environment as I have. You of the Senju clan don't want it either; you must have innocent children in your families that you don't want to be a part of this bloodshed."_

Who would have thought he had stricken both sides with those words - before the man above the Uchiha had other intentions?

"Itachi?"

He cleared his throat, telling her he was lost in thought. "Forgive me. I was just thinking." He changed the subject by picking up the book filled with every intricate anatomy there was. "If it's not wrong of me, tell me more about why you never became a doctor."

~o~

No one knew except her friends and colleagues at the museum. And she hadn't yet told him, so she kind of was happy he asked. She really wanted to tell him.

"It was in the family, mostly because of my mother. She was a perfectionist more than I ever was, though she was flawed despite being a good mom the best she could," Sakura answered, laying back against the sofa. "As a result, not only would she make sure I did good in school and so on: I was a little girl when I said I wanted to be a doctor. But I was only a child. When I was turning into a teenager, things started to change between us and me wondering about my future when I left the house.

"I never did like cleaning up, especially when it was always her to oversee every little thing I did. She would double check and make sure everything was in order, and that was what I hated most. And my father would always take her side, didn't have it in himself to stand up for himself." She scoffed when she recalled how they were always on each other even later in years. _Love strong but not enough for the support of their daughter._ "I always asked myself if it was so hard for him to stand with me once in awhile if not ALL the time."

Itachi's brows furrowed the entire time she spoke, but he said nothing to interrupt her. "Did he stand up to her when you were getting into medical school?" he asked after some time passed.

Sakura scoffed, slamming her head against the back of the sofa. "You wish. And you'll never believe what it took for me to realize that after a year, I found it wasn't for me after all. First for my mother: she couldn't get in due to the lack of funds. Because her father who was a surgeon was going to get her in when she was older, but when she was still in high school, she lost her chance because he had been attacked at work by a jealous coworker; one of his hands was broken in the fight, and a surgeon has to have both good hands. He lost his practice at the same time his wife, my grandmother, died, having been in the forces and was blown up by our enemies. He took to drinking after that, dying from it afterwards, and his daughter simply ended up going to community college for another degree altogether. Mom ended up becoming just a mother and housewife, when she met my father. As for me, while I was halfway through my first year, an accident happened that proved far too sensitive for me to handle..." She felt the tears prick her eyes as she recalled the special person it involved who was what Naruto, Sasuke and Hinata were to her.

"A best friend of mine, Ino, was in a car crash. She and her boyfriend together. He'd died from having his neck snapped; she had pieces of glass throughout her body, and one small shard through her eye. I remember taking them out myself, but my hands were shaking so much because this was my friend...and she died on the table." Her eyes burned hotter as the tears fell down her cheeks. "I thought I was a failure. I'd helped people before in the emergency room during my studies, but losing my friend made me come to this: I can't be a physician if I can't even save a friend."

"Sakura..." He rested one of his hands on hers, taking it into his warmth. "...there is no need to hate yourself. I know what it is like to lose a cherished friend. Know that you did everything you could. His name was Shisui, and he...once risked his life to save mine. I wished I could have saved him myself..."

 _He's just like me...somehow._

"When I told my parents I was leaving school, that I needed to find something else for myself, Mom screamed on the phone at me. I didn't have it in me to face her, choosing the coward's way of calling. And then Dad had his turn, saying that I should stay because it's for the best. I got so mad and frustrated that I told him he was worse as she was, and that I was better off without them for not supporting me since I'd lost one of my best friends and another. Ino and Sai had double funerals that day, and every single one of us - Sasuke was unable to go because of training and missions - attended. Of course, I didn't drop out yet because I had no idea what interest I would have, before Naruto and Hinata came to me and said I could come and get into archaeology with them. There were many in that field with medical experience; I could even work under Orochimaru because of his specialties," she said with a little smile.

He returned the smile. "I applaud you for your bravery, for standing up to your mother and father." Then it faded. "If I had parents again, I'm not sure I ever could do that. It is never easy to leave an old life unless you think it through, know everything and then seize the opportunity. Like I did."

And without saying so much to her, he'd just up and ran away, so here he was now. It had been THAT bad at home for him in Mt. Yudono, but he was going to have a better life here now. "If you ask me," Sakura said, "you are just like me. You eventually did it. Everyone deserves a second chance and a better life even if it's not easy and not everyone has it. You gotta trust your instincts."

However, the memory of losing Ino made her feel guilty because it was like her loss had been in vain. She could have carried on, but that moment made her realize she was never meant to be a part of such a field that warped your perspective mentally and emotionally, so she got out before it was too late. It took all of Naruto and Hinata's persuasions to keep her sanity intact.

Sasuke had heard about Ino and Sai's deaths, but he hadn't been able to return from overseas and his training. Though he'd written a letter to express his condolences and wished he was there. That was only one of the rare times she wished he was here to comfort her over a loss...

It was then that she noticed how he was now sitting closer to her than before, his body close enough to touching hers, and his face was bearing down on her. She started, but she didn't get away from him. He was a bit too close to her for comfort, but she didn't want him to get away either, for some reason.

"Itachi -" Her voice failed her, her skin burning under the smolder of those eyes.

He halted right there, but the heated tension was still there. He was just as hesitant as she was. Both of them knew what would happen if they kept this up, without going too far. "I'm sorry, Sakura," he said softly, his breath warm on her skin, then drew back by at least one inch. "I don't really know what I am doing. I've never...been so close before. But when you said 'trust your instincts', it made something...open that I never realized I had."

Were her words really THAT effective? "I hadn't been so close since Sasuke and I broke up," she said, "and you're his..."

"I'm his brother, yes, but I'm not him," Itachi answered, drawing back further away, the warmth fading which disappointed her. "But you haven't recovered from him, have you?"

He was right, but he also wasn't. She was ready to move on from Sasuke, and the one was right in front of her. _You're his brother, but you're not him either._ "I _am_ over him, but I really need help actually getting over him. Itachi, I..." She quickly stopped herself from saying she might have an attraction for him, but if that were possible - and her experiences made her wiser and cautious - then this had to be done slowly.

That slowly fading smolder in his eyes meant one thing only, and it was possible that any fears she had were unfounded.

~o~

Now, wasn't it strange that the board all too easily agreed to the finding out in Kawa Country?

So, the site would be secured, and it would take a week or two to have everything brought here officially. Thank God Homura and Koharu didn't give her shit this time - but she wasn't sure what she could say about Danzo. She never trusted him anymore than she trusted those two. But Hiashi Hyuuga expressed utter delight like he did when the mummy was first brought here. "This is going to be the greatest find since then," he'd said. "The tabloids are going to be excited once the proper research is done. The ashes of Madara Uchiha, complete with his armor and weapons - just think about it."

Homura had pushed his glasses up to his face. "Just barely a week since one loss only to have another finding make up for it. And Tsunade, I'd had my doubts it would happen so quickly," he'd told her.

However, Koharu had narrowed her already slitted eyes to the point of making them completely closed. "But if this is a repeat of a relic of the Uchiha's past vanishing from our noses again, we'll find a means to remove you from your seat and have a replacement."

That made Tsunade very angry, and it leaked in her words but not in her body, for it took all her self-control to not jump across the conference table. "There won't be a need for that, and I'll make sure." The rest of the men and women including Hiashi and Danzo just watched with interest and expected a loud debate to break out, but she wouldn't give that satisfaction.

Her relief came to the surface like the rush of sake through her system. When she was out of there, she heard the ring of her mobile, and saw it was none other than Minato calling. _Better be some good news._ "Hello, there, Minato," she answered sweetly, holding the folders of photographs and papers in one arm. "What can I do for you?"

 _"You sound like you're in a good mood,"_ he noted with a little laugh.

"More than that. We had a new great find just today, and your son received the package which was brought right to me. Within two weeks, we could have everything here for examination before we even think about making it public. You should be proud of him and the girls for this."

 _"Oh, no doubt about it. But Tsunade, I got some good news and bad news, depending on how you see it."_

Tsunade was halting at the elevator which would take her downstairs to her office, her free finger from the hand with the papers pausing halfway to the DOWN button. "Go on?" she asked suspiciously.

Minato sighed, and she could almost picture him shaking his head or scratching the back of his neck which his son inherited. _"For a start, we identified the toxins in the blood of the guards who died. It was an overdose of a barbiturate. We actually had it confirmed on Saturday, but we decided to tell you as soon as we got an ID on the remains."_

She hitched a breath, finding the will to push the button. If someone else was going to go down with her or just get off, to hell with hearing what she was talking about with the chief of police and father of one of her interns. The guards overseeing the surveillance of her and Dan's mummy were killed by an overdose of a central nervous system depressant, which led to death, but what about before? The common effects beforehand would be any of the following: difficult thinking, slow speech, drowsiness, shallow breaths and loss of balance, and the most severe being coma and/or death. Although its beneficial uses in medicine would be decrease of anxiety as well as sleeping pills, while police and law interrogation would include it as their "truth serum". But someone used this drug with malicious intent before...

"What about the mummy itself? Name and the background?"

 _"Yes. We might not be able to trace the source in which it happened in a single night, because who mummifies today while we set out and find others across the globe?"_ Minato pointed out. _"But anyway, the mummy was a man named Kyou Ito. Thirty years old, divorced and with no children. We put the DNA in the database and found it out. He was one of the big ones, but hired from the black market. We've had him imprisoned at least four times, but he would always be released on bail due to lack of solid evidence. We had insiders say that he was one of the best to get away from us."_

So this guy was a thug from the underworld, and yet he ended up in HER museum as a seemingly centuries-old corpse. If you asked her, that was very suspicious, and there were no DNA traces or fingerprints to nail him. "Does that mean he could have been the one to get rid of my find?" Tsunade demanded, getting off the elevator on the first floor.

 _"Could have been, but that still wouldn't explain how he ended up the way he did. I refuse to rule anything out, but I also hate jumping to conclusions. Either way, I feel we're getting close, unless we meet dead ends. I'm going to have deputies ask questions in his dealings and the neighborhoods. If Ito was really the one to steal your mummy and then end up in its place, he could have been hired by some private collector or something like that. And then he was mummified when his usefulness was no longer needed."_

 **From Wiki: "A barbiturate is a drug that acts as a central nervous system depressant, and can therefore produce a wide spectrum of effects, from mild sedation to death. They are effective as anxiolytics, hypnotics, and anticonvulsants, but have physical and psychological addiction potential. They have largely been replaced by benzodiazepines in routine medical practice, particularly in the treatment of anxiety and insomnia, due to the significantly lower risk of addiction and overdose and the lack of an antidote for barbiturate overdose. Despite this, barbiturates are still in use for various purposes: in general anesthesia, epilepsy, treatment of acute migraines or cluster headaches, euthanasia, capital punishment, and assisted suicide." (The side effects of these drugs are among Tsunade's mental list.)**

 **So, now Tsunade knows who the mummy was, Sakura opens up to Itachi - but is their relationship going to get further than that? And what about the investigation...?**

 **REVIEW. :D**


	15. The Proposals

**Now, how do you make it believable in the real world when Itachi discovers his Sharingan for the first time? Would it be called as it is in canon, or will it be slightly altered? How will he learn to master it since he learns it is a part of him?**

Chapter Fifteen

The Proposals

Man, they were hot on the trail now, huh? The guy who he remembered his dad and the force putting behind bars only to be released many times was the mummy they were looking over. And he'd used a truth serum/mild sedative to kill the guards; he also shut off the security cameras so there was no final verdict if he'd been mummified and put in place or if it was before that night.

Granny Tsunade brought him and the girls in on that Monday to tell them the news from Minato, and she would break it to Orochimaru eventually, but that also meant they had something new to celebrate as soon as it came here. _Talking about the shrine to that Madara Uchiha guy. Who would have thought, you know? Two Uchiha found in twelve years._

He also heard that the old lady said she was going to speak to Itachi on Friday regarding his future, if he would take classes as well as come to work for her, even if things were last minute. But he could earn a little money before courses so that he would feel more useful. This information was usually between future employer and employee, or even teacher and student, but they were all like a family and had no secrets.

That also meant what Sakura brought up, making his protective mode kick in: Itachi would stay with her for the time being, and her landlord agreed to a second inhabitant.

She barely knew the guy and had already agreed he could stay with her. It wasn't that he didn't trust Itachi, but it took him and Hinata a HELL of a long time to know each other before she let him move into her flat. But Hinata assured him that even though she didn't relish it either, it was Sakura's choice, and he had no choice but to accept. It was the pinkette's mistake to make.

He wasn't sure how Sasuke would react when he found out his ex had a new guy living with her - and his own long-lost brother whom he had yet to find out.

Anyway, Dad had theorized, as well, that if Kyou Ito was the one to orchestrate the burglary and then end up in place, it had to have happened in a short period of time, which was impossible.

After talking to his father later on break, and after deciding the wait was going to be worth it since a couple more years gave time to plan, he wanted to ask Hinata if she wanted to marry him this Friday. If she wanted to wait a little longer, he would gladly respect it and wait however long she wanted before he would ask again. That was the plan.

 _Mom's ring - makes it special. She really loved that thing, Dad said, so Hinata is going to._ Naruto thought this with a grin as the western "something old, something borrowed, something blue" rang through that brain of his.

Friday night with Dad. Hinata in her cute little black dress.

Finishing touch after a great dinner Minato made that saved Hinata her usual job was this:

"Hinata, I've loved you for forever just like you've loved me, and I wanted to ask you when we were done with the internship, but I came to decide: why wait? So, when this is all over, do you want to...?"

It was then that his dad pulled out the little black box and handed it to him. Naruto gulped when he looked at her face, but he saw nothing like fear, only excitement and the glaze of tears of joy she was trying to hold back. Inside was a romantic band alternating with shapes of round to marquise, and the sapphire was oval-shaped. Although it turned out Kushina's ring was a size larger than his girl was. But that was nothing that couldn't be fixed, Dad had said when that sentiment was put on Hinata.

Best Friday of their lives, and he couldn't wait for them to break it to everyone on Monday.

~o~

He was here now and just enjoying what was given to him. He was going through a few weeks of tutoring with help of the one he was going to replace because he was going to move to Suna so he could marry his sweetheart whom he'd known since youth and who had moved back to the place of her birth.

Cataloging was basically inventory, in which you made sure everything was in place in event of lost, stolen and easy finding. He was in charge of the books, the numbers being permanent in the records once they were in, and he couldn't change a thing without permission. He had to get the hang of everything in terms of the computer systems. The biggest risks besides getting something out of order was being bugged, targeted with a virus and malicious ransomware - all this stuff done with a lack of care, but the museum had techs upstairs and downstairs taking care of that.

Shikamaru Nara was the one who was leaving, whom he would replace, but not for another three weeks. His sweetheart who went by the name of Temari lived in the sand nation, and even though he'd asked her to marry him over the phone, he would move over to be with her and properly ask her with the ring he'd gotten, and the lazy genius kept the thing on him no matter if knowing it could get stolen, but he had his methods of making damned sure it wouldn't happen. Itachi was impressed with the delicate simplicity in which the big stone was a strange double-ended triangular diamond sided with rounder stones. _And back in my day we couldn't afford wedding or even engagement rings...and the ceremonies different._

But today Western marital customs were welcomed. The old ways slowly declined except for those in rural areas clinging to the ancient methods.

When he saw all the work cut out for him, a small part of his brain was irked that it would take a damned while. But did that stop him? "It's a real drag at first," Shikamaru told him as he showed Itachi around the storage room - the place for new arrivals that hadn't been checked out yet - and gave a small, lazy smirk, "but it's not so bad afterwards. But that's just my opinion. It's actually a decent place, more than the most cynical or the laidback rest think. Except you gotta be careful not to make the old lady mad."

He had been told of Tsunade's legendary temper, so he would absolutely take that under advisement. Nodding, Itachi then began to inspect the written papers on the wooden clipboard he was given. Everything included the list of arrivals for today, and he was to check and see what came as well as what didn't, then report to the woman herself or even her secretary, who was a pretty raven named Shizune.

He found himself intrigued over even the slightest ones which were common but rare to find at the same time, such as one vase from the Heian era that was truly from a competitor, bought at the highest price and very risky. Even something like this would lose its value if its link was broken, and everything depended on the catalog number and data connected to the specimen. _Which means no use, no good research results and anything else._

Fate brought him to coming across his own in the next information list he read that day when he wasn't in the storage room. If he'd been alert and aware in his old state, it would have been torture to hear what was going on and what was said, unable to do anything about it and thinking he was nothing more than a sideshow display.

Itachi also discovered that when it came to brand new artifacts coming in, it was impossible to catalog them until further notice, and that meant as soon as his grandfather's urn, armor and weapons came in, he would have to wait for instructions. This included the location origin, what was found inside, and any medical info. He had so much work to do now!

But if he stood in battle at only age eleven, he could put all of this into a computer as well as on paper and just wait until he'd be told.

It was also here that he came across the broken seal that had been on HIS casket, the words repeating in his mind from the days he had spent in prayer while fasting on the pines and seeds: _Namu Amida Butsu_. These words written on the paper and surrounded by eight prongs, a true seal to keep him inside his body, trapping him between this world and the next.

 _If I keep returning to myself, I'll go utterly insane. I have to move on sooner or later, unless something far more extreme happens to me that comes my way._

In this week, he hadn't had anymore unfortunate encounters in which he could look at himself in the mirror and see his eyes, if something had caused those men to be paralyzed. The news had made it on the television later on that evening, and it utterly baffled the doctors who examined them, because for now it didn't seem to be malicious. Likely a nervous breakdown in which it was uncertain when they would snap out of it; for that reason, Itachi felt himself go cold. If they decided to go to the police - no, wait, he doubted they would. If they were smart, they wouldn't breathe a word. Although he doubted they were as intelligent than they appeared. Why would they have attacked him that day the way they did?

Sakura saw him watching that evening, and her jaw slackened a little. "I think I remember those guys, but because I saw them here. A few years ago when Neji went to work at the bar he owns now, his boss then was attacked and killed by thugs, but the perps weren't ever found. These ones were suspected, except it couldn't be proven. Lack of solid evidence as their alibis checked out." There was anger in her voice that could leak venom on her lips visibly.

 _Well, then I must have done a favor, however it was._

Today was Tuesday; it was hard to believe over a week had gone by since he came across these wonderful people - saw his brother who still didn't know who he was - and less than that since he started working. He also found out that he couldn't look at anything at work on the computers since it would be monitored by the techs for content quality. Which meant he couldn't look for what he wanted to know about his eyes, just to be safe.

It made him think about the discovery he made over the weekend: on Saturday night, when he finished showering, he looked in the mirror and did the trick which he remembered was thinking about WHAT he wanted done to them, but before that...

... _the feeling of anger, protection and passion._

It was then that he thought of the faces of those men, pure and simple without effort. He had no idea it could be like this, for it was too good to be true. And when he looked in the mirror at himself, he was shocked at what he saw: his irises had turned to bloody red, and in there was a pattern of three black tomoe - and it shocked him how he could make out so many things with them that he never saw before. _I sense SAKURA out in the kitchen, exactly as she was when I left her. And others outside; there is so many of them!_

What was this power in his eyes? Itachi had to bring both fingers to press beneath them. Strangely enough, this didn't hurt him, but his nerves were tingling.

He was a being who broke the line between myth and legend, fantasy and reality, so how could he look at this online or even ask someone for some assistance? He thought of asking Sakura, but he didn't want to burden her. She'd done so much for him already.

What shocked him even further was when he imagined the human-sized needles, and that was when the three tomoe formed a _pinwheel._

He had to stop these thoughts before he went back out to Sakura and the delicious dinner she made, because he had no answers to give her if she asked questions.

Today he found himself with Shikamaru, and it was here he would ask if he had a chance. There was also good news: Naruto had asked Hinata to marry him. He'd proposed over the weekend, using the ring of his mother who died giving birth to him. Sakura hadn't been able to stop wiping her eyes with tissues because she was so happy for them.

Itachi happily congratulated them, though he wondered if Sasuke would be just as delighted for his best friend. _Little brother, you have friends who are still there for you, but why did you have to do this alone?_

~o~

So he scheduled weekly appointments with Kurenai, and she suggested things like healthy exercise, seeing his friends, and she would have his medication ready within a couple weeks from right after his return. And it was here and now that he decided to finally talk to the red-eyed woman about his dreams that only his friends knew about.

This surprised her very much. "Lifelong dreams about...olden times? This is the first time you speak about this," she stated. "Why didn't you go to anyone - especially me - sooner?"

"Because it was my burden." Half a lie. "My friends were there for me when I needed them, and I would sometimes think someday they would just go away on their own, without saying it directly...but I was wrong. I think they now mean something. I've ignored it too long."

"And consequently lost the girl you loved," Kurenai stated, somewhat critical, which he knew he deserved. Sasuke leaned back to the side against the leather spinning chair for the patients and visitors.

He lowered his eyes to the dirty floor and said nothing, which was her answer. "Does this mean you want to find something of this, as part of your reprieve, including wishing to mend with Sakura?"

"Yes," he answered, snapping his attention back to her. "I made a mistake and want to fix it, but I need all the help I can get. Neji and Naruto are both right; I can't run away forever. And..." He trailed off only for the moment. _I am sick of how things are awkward and distant with Sakura, but I don't know if it will ever be like it used to be. I just want to...make it right._

 **It's been a struggle to decide what Itachi would have to do at the museum for his life, so I did research on museum cataloging the best I could.**

 **Nobody complained about the lack of Sasuke in here, but I promise even if there is less seen of him, he's important and I totally care about him as much as the others. Once a guest for a previous fic, The Rosette and the Beast, told me I cared about Sakura more than Sasuke (it seemed to THEM), but they knew nothing. Even if there aren't a lot of Sasuke POVs, we still see and learn what happen through another.**

 **Review. :D**


	16. The Power of Gods

**I can't believe how far I am with this. XD But it's nothing new. Though here are important facts listed that are vital to the very ending:**

 **1: Sakura and Itachi's relationship will expand, though it begs how much longer that will be.**

 **2: Itachi has to learn how to harness his newfound powers, and that's a bigger challenge than what I have planned for the rest of this story.**

 **3: Sasuke wants to reconnect with Sakura, but he's yet to find out that Itachi is his lost brother. He also has to get to the root of his dreams he's had all his life.**

 **4: Who is the mysterious shadowy figure who ordered the Uchiha mummy being stolen - and who is likely to be the one causing major trouble? ;)**

 **With all of that said, enjoy the latest. :D**

Chapter Sixteen

The Power of Gods

Looking at himself in the mirror today, which was the day he would ask Shikamaru about any possible ocular abilities in legend, prepared to answer why this came up, Itachi smiled at what and who he was seeing: at the buttoned up black shirt and pants, his hair tied behind his neck - a man in the modern era, but with memories and experiences of the past he'd actually seen.

It was here that he was on lunch break and was reflecting back on his questions to Shikamaru during the inspection. He had plenty of time to think of why he was asking such things.

 _"Ocular powers? This is something that fairytale experts would talk about, but I've heard of certain ones. There are three most powerful in existence that we say could only belong to gods - specifically the Sage of Six Paths and his family. One is the Byakugan and the other the Sharingan, but once they were joined together to form the Rinnegan which the man, known also as Hagoromo Oosutsuki, bore in his own skull, and its powers were beyond comprehension, causing creation and destruction in wake."_

He'd heard of those tales when he was a child, now that it all came rushing back to him. His grandfather and father both said that the Uchiha as well as the Hyuuga and Senju descended from gods who came from far beyond the stars and settled on earth, and all three obtained their power - their chakra, as it was believed - from the deities and the Divine Tree. The Hyuuga, in the much older days, had the Byakugan, whereas the Uchiha carried the Sharingan, and the Senju had the power of the forest.

There were no drawn sketches, but the images were told orally: the Uchiha eyes that reflected the heart were red as the blood spilled by their hands and before their own eyes, complete with three black markings. _But nothing was ever spoken about the pinwheel in my own eyes._ Said to cast forth illusions that lasted longer than just a moment in the real world, but no technical details beyond that. You could also anticipate the other's moves down to the tiniest parts.

The Hyuuga's Byakugan, said to simply be their eyes pure and pearlescent like they truly came from the moon, were known to strain themselves to the point of catching every single presence around, see even the smallest details as well, but they couldn't copy anything. That put them above the Uchiha.

Whereas the Uchiha and Hyuuga relied on ocular combined with physical prowess, the Senju body had advanced life forces that made them profoundly proficient in ninjutsu. It was also said that besides being distantly related to the Uzumaki clan - and married in between - the Uchiha were also distant cousins, though this wasn't public knowledge except to the members. _We came from the Sage's elder son while the Senju from the younger._

A major conflict: the Uchiha believed peace could be obtained through war, whereas the Senju thought differently. It all ended in vain with Itachi's generation.

Now that he had this information, he started to believe that maybe while he didn't become another being in the heavens, he might be now in this world. But it wasn't like he was a god; he was physical flesh and blood, yet he possessed the god-like prowess. He was going to learn how to do it, and he had a feeling it wouldn't take forever since he already figured out you had to be angry, protective and passionate against the enemy.

He had a weapon to survive in this world as long as he could wipe his tracks clean.

His stomach growled. Laughing, Itachi decided that it was time to head to lunch. Sakura had the same time as him, so he was going to meet with her and they would head to the tea stand down the street. And to avoid losing track of the time, they would bring the food back and enjoy on the outside front steps of this museum.

But when he was just about to exit the men's room, he found himself greeted with the appearance of another man - and his aura was as unpleasant as his look. _Black cloak and a simple white mask...oh, no, he's one of them._

Even today they were still here. He couldn't believe it. And now he was cornered in the men's restroom at his new workplace; he sensed the incredible strength of the masked one - who then proceeded to reach beneath the garb and draw forth his _tantō_ which gleamed in the light. Sucking in a harsh breath, Itachi backed himself up against the sink, grasping both sides and watching the weapon closely. Already he could see it: _he's going to simply come at me with that thing. Very swift and invisible to the naked eye - except mine._ And this person, who knew who and WHAT he was, was on him before he could blink.

His dodge had the masked man crashing the blow right into the mirror. Glass shattered loudly everywhere and littered across the floor. This couldn't continue in here; he had to get out of here and find Sakura, then shout for security that an intruder was in the museum and tried to kill him.

Before bolting for the door, Itachi swung a powerful kick towards the man's back, knocking him onto the floor and his short sword across the floor, vanishing under one of the toilet stalls.

"Itachi!"

He looked up, pushing his hair out of his face and seeing Sakura rushing towards him. "Sakura, stay back!" he shouted, picking himself up from running into the wall on his left. He took her by the forearm and dragged her in the opposite direction. She yelped.

"What the hell is going on?!"

"Trust me, it's best to alert the authorities!"

"You mean security! Whoever it is, the cameras are catching it right now!" she stated as they turned around the corner to find the stairs that went up and down to the basement and storage. He had no time to look over his shoulder to see if his assailant was coming after them, because that would slow them down and decrease survival chance. "Itachi," Sakura said, "don't look, but I see him coming after us!" Now he halted and looked over, deciding he would fight him now, but he wouldn't use his Sharingan.

"Get help, Sakura!" he shouted, dodging the swipe of the _tantō_ and then seizing the advantage of snatching that wrist and twisting it in his grasp. There was the sound of bones snapping, and the man screamed in pain, dropping his weapon yet again. Itachi then released him only to whirl him around and then bring down his elbow atop the other's head, stunning him and then letting him fall facedown to the tiled marble floor.

Itachi leaned down, keeping his foot atop the man's back, pinning him in place. "Why are you trying to kill me?" he demanded harshly, although he knew the answer at the back of his psyche.

The man coughed a few times before answering, wheezing because of the pain of his broken wrist. "B-because...it was a s-s-sacred duty. You have to die. It was _his_ order..."

"And who would that be?" But before he could get his answer, he heard the sound of footsteps and looked up to see Sakura coming back, and with her several men in uniforms as well as guns trained on both him and the assassin who had been sent after him.

"Halt - security! Itachi, get away from him. We'll take over from here."

~o~

"Who gave you the right to come into my museum and attack one of my employees?" Tsunade raged, her blood on boiling heights, glaring down at the fool whose mask had been removed, showing wild auburn hair and golden brown eyes - which flashed with pure terror whilst his face remained the same as he looked up at the livid curator whose vein stuck out her forehead. "And just when there isn't enough scandal on my plate, this is crossing the line!"

He said nothing; who was he protecting, and what did he hope to accomplish? He just couldn't be stealthier than that?! _Just wait until the police get here. It's a miracle Sakura even got back to me without involving too much of the entire place. If this gets to the old fools, I'm a step closer to being finished. What is happening to this place lately; is everything Grandfather worked his blood and sweat for going to crumble because of my bad karma?_

"Just who are you protecting exactly?" her security chief, Kakashi Hatake, asked with his arms crossed over his chest, sitting behind the handcuffed man. "It can go one or two ways: someone sent you here - which might explain why you are dressed like that - or you are really crazy for no reason. We can just let the police or the psychiatrists decide the final answer -" He was cut off by the man who was monotoned.

"No one hired me. Why I am here is my own business, but it was necessary. That man is a menace to all of you and has to be eliminated."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. He was telling them Itachi was a threat - _well, we still don't know much about him, but it wasn't like I wasn't aware_ \- and so he was here to assassinate him. "Who the hell are you, some modern shadow ninja? That was so reckless and foolish of you to just charge in here like this!" She huffed. "Well, no matter. I want nothing more than to have you off this property and never to return. This museum has suffered too much in the past couple weeks, so I'm hoping your actions don't add to that list." _But at least no property was destroyed - except a restroom mirror, and at least there were no visitors during this hour. Just let Minato now handle this when he gets here._

And just like that, two police cars showed up outside her window.

~o~

Who the hell was that guy who attacked Itachi? And why was he wearing a mask and cloak?

She had to suppress a whistle when she saw Itachi take the guy on as she ran to get security only to find them coming her way, Kakashi being among them. They returned only to find Itachi over the attacker who was in a black cloak and white mask; what the hell was he doing, she asked herself again, being theatrical? Was he one of those loonies who thought to dress up and randomly attack someone?

At least Tsunade would learn of this, and Minato would deal with the rest. She could laugh to herself at the image of her _shisou_ bearing down on this bastard since no one could mess with her. Now she found herself sitting with him on the front top stair outside the museum as police officers led the guy out; she didn't even recognize him now that she saw his face, but she hated the look in his eyes when he glanced her and Itachi's way. Itachi ignored him, pushing off the sheet around himself and then tightening it with one hand. He didn't appear traumatized, or he was just hiding it well.

"I wish I saw the rest of what you did to him," Sakura told him, trying to lighten it up. "You must have been a ninja or something." _Because who could have the moves to fight back like that today?_

He gave a slight smile. "I had to learn to be in case anyone crooked came along. Even today, you could never be too certain."

They looked up when Minato approached them. "Well, we saw the footage and what happened," he said, the corner of his mouth twitching. "I have to say, I thought you deserved a whistle, Itachi. I haven't seen anything like that in my lifetime. It's rare these days to see someone defend themselves the way you did."

"Thank you...?" Itachi regarded him with a slight blink and eyebrow twitch, making the man chuckle.

"Oh, right. I'm Minato. Naruto's father. I guess you've at least heard of me through him?"

Recognition flashed in Itachi's dark eyes. "Ah, yes. I remember now. And you must be happy for your son."

"I get that all the time, and this answer is the same as always: with his accomplishments so far and getting married in a couple years? You bet I am. And Sakura -" His attention shifted to her. "- I hope you're doing all right, too. Must have been a hard day for both of you like it is for Tsunade knowing about this." She nodded, except the sooner it was over, the better and they could get back to normal.

"Who is he?" she had to ask him, and the answer she got was a shocker.

"We only got out of him that his name is Fuu Yamanaka. We're going to take him to the station to ask more questions. Tsunade did the best she could."

 _He's - no, WAS - a relative of Ino. How...she must not have known about him when she was alive._ It hurt to think of her late friend like this, but even more when she didn't know why he had to come here and attack Itachi at their workplace.

He was currently in the back of the first police car, and that glare had softened only to be a stoic scowl. He didn't once take his eyes off Itachi, who returned it the same way.

~o~

 _I highly doubt that man is the last one who is coming my way. And next time, I don't think I will be merciful especially after what happened today._

It also meant any of his friends could be targeted because of his existence, so he wasn't going to relax too easily either.

Itachi was glad they went home at the end of the day. They were given an extended lunch break because they deserved it, and the dango and tea were worth the trouble. Sakura was exhausted, but he wasn't, for some reason. _I'm still glad I didn't have to use my Sharingan for once._

But when they were inside, there was the sound of her mobile ringing. When she looked at the name, she scowled. Itachi had to lean over and see the name which was her mother. Sakura then had to hang up and say that she was going to call one of the takeout places because she didn't feel like cooking due to today's events. He nodded, choosing to sit down before the television so they could enjoy it before the food arrived.

It was here that he noted Sakura putting her phone to her ear, assuming it was a voicemail message left by her mother whom she no longer spoke to - and there was no change in expression when she slowly lowered it to her side as soon as she was finished listening to whatever it was. "Sakura, what is wrong?" Itachi asked, standing up and walking up to her, pausing behind and keeping one inch away from her. She only turned her face halfway to him. Her voice was low and monotoned.

"It was my mother. My dad died yesterday from lung cancer."

 **Review please. :)**


	17. The Amends to Make

**Things ought to start flowing more, but I'm taking such extreme care as I always say. Though by the looks of it, shit should REALLY start to hit the fan in this chapter as well as the next to follow. Not like it hasn't happened already.**

 **So, I said that I finished the first story of my new trilogy, Konoha Kaidan, and yesterday I began a new one. Though this newbie and the next (and last) to follow I have no idea which will take place after "Woman of the Snow". They are all unrelated to each other, so if anyone is interested, it's not required to read them all in order or even at once, but I hope you enjoy them. :D**

 **I'm also excited to put up my future new ItaHana (Itachi and OC Hanaru) fic, "The Ronin and the Emperor's Daughter", in the future as it looks like it's halfway done. XD When it is complete, I'll put each new chapter up. For those who love my ItaHana fics!**

Chapter Seventeen

The Amends to Make

 _"Sakura, I KNOW you are not ignoring your mother after all this time."_ Pause, before a sigh was heard. _"Well, no matter, child. I'm just calling to let you know that your father, after all those times he smoked off his high horse when I always tried telling him how bad it was for him - you know what I'm going to say next. I suggest you get back to me tomorrow as soon as possible. The funeral services are going to take place this Friday, so I hope I see you then."_

That was what the message said, and it left her reeling with mixed emotions that she wasn't sure how to let Itachi know when he watched on with sincere concern. What the hell was her mother thinking in assuming she'd answer when they hadn't spoken in years?

But no, her father was dead due to lung cancer. It had been going on since she was in high school; why didn't it surprise her that it would come to this?

Sakura had no idea how to think or feel. She used to love both her parents, but even that could change. Why would Mebuki even tell her she was happy with what her daughter was doing now? Would it even make a difference if she was forced to be home for two days in a row? She shook her head of all these questions coming in.

It was only early in the week, and she had a few days to get ready. But that meant she had to tell the others besides Itachi; she might get sorry's, little good that would do. "I wish I had the words to say, if you want comfort," Itachi said quietly, staying exactly where he was and close behind by a couple inches. Something inside her snapped, and she found herself turning around and wrapping her arms around his torso, needing his warmth so much. Just some form of human contact that wasn't the kind Naruto and Hinata gave her.

 _This isn't changing anything,_ she had to remind herself. _He's just there for me because I need someone right now._ She let Itachi guide her back to the sofa, after she put her phone back down on the counter. They curled into each other, her entire front into his comforting heat. Instantly, Sakura forgot about her troubles and let herself be enveloped by only him. She was on the brink of falling asleep after some time to pass in welcomed silence before her stomach growled at the same time as his.

They burst out into laughter.

And it was at the same time that the doorbell rang, making them both jump to sitting position. She wasn't even expecting anyone tonight, but she got up anyway and went to answer - and who was there wasn't who she expected. "Sasuke! What are you doing here?" she exclaimed.

Could this have gotten any weirder? Her mother called her on the same day as Itachi's assault to say her father was dead, but why was her ex here? _Did he finally decide to try and talk to me after being a coward all this time?_

"I...wanted to talk to you," he answered, looking her straight in the eyes. "I had enough time to think this over, and just talking to my therapist is only enough. I hurt you and Naruto - and my family - long enough." He lowered them then to the ground. "I want to come in so we can talk, if you're not too busy..."

He really stayed out there, a safe distance away, like he was afraid that if he did one wrong thing, everything was once again screwed over. Sakura was a little stunned; after over a week of being home, he was finally pulling his balls up and saying he wanted to make it right, although he didn't outright say it that way. He wanted to be inside so it was just them, but there was one little problem that she was nervous he would react to. _But why should he? We're not together anymore._

Sasuke's eyes widened when he saw Itachi sitting on her couch. "Oh...it's you." He looked back at her. "Sakura, why is he -?"

"Itachi has no money and nowhere to go still," she answered, "so he is staying with me for the time being."

"And you agreed to letting a stranger in as a roommate," Sasuke stated bluntly, narrowing his eyes.

She bristled at the underlying protectiveness in his tone. What gave him the right to suddenly hint to telling her what to do in her own apartment? "Yes, and it was done carefully," Itachi answered before she could. "I left behind a hard life like I told you, Sasuke, so any concerns you have over Sakura are unfounded."

"And Itachi isn't much of a stranger after almost a couple weeks," Sakura added in, "even though there is still more I want to know. So Sasuke, unless you came here just to try and tell me what to do about my safety, then leave, because I took care of myself just fine after you left. If it's really just to patch it up with me, then make it quick because you are going to put me in a bad mood -" Oh, how she was feeling it already, but then she felt Itachi's hand on her shoulder.

"Sakura, please don't be like that. He has every right to still look out for your well-being. And Sasuke," he said pleasantly, making her wonder why and how the hell he could handle being so kind to someone who still didn't know he was his brother - _is he going to tell him tonight, too?_ \- and who was still looking at him with scrutiny, "you may have your word with her while I am here. Don't mind me."

Sasuke's narrowed eyes softened, but he held his ground. "I'd appreciate it if it were just me and her," he said, and that was his final word. It frustrated her that he could just talk like that in HER walls, but Itachi was willing to do that. He was heading out for the bit, just giving them alone time.

"I'm going out to get our food. Sasuke, would you like something?"

"I don't plan to stay long. And I ate already, but...thanks." There was no snide there, even though it sounded a little like it.

Itachi nodded, and he was gone. She was left alone with her ex with whom she stood in uncomfortable silence. She had to advert her eyes to his chest in order to avoid eye contact. She found herself noting how much broader his shoulders were, how the navy t-shirt accentuated firmer pectorals. His build was nearly similar to Itachi...but they had different circumstances. Itachi's past was still riddled with mystery, though he was trained as a ninja for defense, and Sasuke had spent endless months training and shooting out on the battlefield.

"...you still wear the necklace."

Her hand went up to lay over the mentioned object around her neck. "Yes," was all she said. He nodded, then shifted uncomfortably like she. She decided they sit on the couch instead of standing, since there was no telling how long Itachi would be gone.

There was more awkward silence before he decided to be the one to ask her. "How have you been...since I left?"

"Just fine." _Just peachy._ "And we have a brand new find coming our way, but a few weeks or months maybe for research will have to be underway before we can put it up for the public." Talking about work when he came regarding them? Well, he asked.

And it wasn't like he ever cared about those things, though he paid attention for her sake. "That's great to hear. What is it?"

"Everything recovered from the shrine of the last leader of the Uchiha samurai clan - Madara Uchiha himself. His ashes in an urn, weapons and armor in a trunk. But what about you?" He forced himself to smile when he locked black eyes with green.

"I'm thinking about getting a real job and finally settling down here when I am done with my services, but I don't know what yet." He shook his head. "I have time to look, but I wanted to talk about...us..."

"Yes, the fact you leave me after a great life together," Sakura said, sliding forward by one inch as a small means to intimidate him, but he stayed where he was. "And you are hardly home, but when you are, I don't even know what to think or feel around you anymore. We were all there for you, and what do you do in return? You close yourself off not just because of those dreams, but because you still blame yourself for what happened to Hanabi."

Dark eyes became heated while his face was cool. "Yes, I still do, but Hiashi is the one who drove us to this. And I want to just put that behind us and start over...as friends. I'm not ready to have a relationship again; I just want to start over. I'm going to see Kurenai, and she's going to help me get to the bottom of my dreams, but also to give me options for my life, even have strings pulled." He paused in midst of his breathless speech.

"Sakura, just saying I'm sorry isn't enough, but what can I do to make it all up to you if all of this won't?"

~o~

Thankfully he managed to beat the closing time and got the food before rushing back to Sakura's apartment - no, wait, it was also his, too, since he moved in with her. _Nothing but rice balls, two miso bowls, and a large sushi platter to share._

No doubt Sasuke was getting it in order with Sakura, and that made him smile, although he wondered if she would accept it that easily - and was he going to ask for a second chance in another way that wasn't at all friendly? Itachi didn't know why it worried him so much, because they had history, of course, and he was supposed to be selfless. He gave everything up for Sasuke in their past life, but this time...things were so different.

 _I should have no right to ownership of Sakura, regardless of any desire this is. She should choose on her own will._

She'd left the door unlocked for him, and it turned out Sasuke was still there, but he was standing from the couch at the same time he was. And Itachi had to be safe in studying them: he saw no traces of make-up intimacy such as mussed hair, flushed skin and clothes out of place. He shook his head; he was supposed to trust them both.

When Sakura saw him come in, her eyes lit up with her smile. That told him a hint of what he needed to know, and it wasn't any of his suspicions. "I trust all is well?"

"Yeah, all is well," she answered. She stayed where she was and Sasuke walked his way, but paused when he was shoulder to shoulder with Itachi, which caused the older to halfway turn around and watch him carefully. He decided now that he would have to wait a little longer to tell him they were brothers, since all was well as Sakura said. He doubted it would end as pleasantly as it did now if he dropped the bomb.

"Good night, Sasuke," he said. "I look forward to seeing more of you now."

He got only a slight twitch of the eyebrows in response as well as a "hn", finished with a one-sided smirk. _Now...that is a word I have not heard in centuries from you._ He smiled to the younger's back even after he was gone. The smell of the food reminded him that he and his housemate had to get something into their stomachs now that the day ended better than before.

"I feel like...I had an epiphany," Sakura said as she took one bag from him and led the way into the kitchen. She seemed flushed compared to before when she was uneasy that her ex-beau had come to her apartment because he wanted to make it up for leaving her. "Although," she added when she opened up a plastic white box that had the rice balls, "Sasuke has his work cut out for him before I completely forgive him. I'm glad he's getting help and is willing to follow through on it."

Words could not describe how pleased he was. Sakura had gotten over him, it seemed, and with him - he looked forward to making up for not being there as his brother.

~o~

How could reconciling with Sasuke - but more time needed - be so good and just being friends?

The day she dreaded finally came, and on the day she left for the suburbs, her friends wished her luck and expressed how sorry they were for not being able to be there. It was best they weren't involved in whatever drama was going to happen, and so she'd been hesitant of letting Itachi come along with her. He insisted because she needed him as much.

"If she provokes you -" she started as she was behind the wheel of her wagon, but he held up his hand with a slight smile.

"It's not going to get to me, I assure you. She might entertain me to a degree," Itachi said, leaning his head back against the front passenger seat he was in. How could he look so handsome and enjoyable? She shook her head, giggling and looking back at the road, before it faded when the sight of her childhood home came into view. _Here we go. Doesn't look like Mom changed much of anything. But how could she? She always liked things as they were and never changed unless it was necessary._ "Charming," Itachi noted when she brought them to park in the driveway. "It's different than what I expected."

Outside, it was a simple but grand complex, and inside would be a spiraling staircase, a crystal chandelier designed the same way, and high arched entryways without doors while others would have traditional _shoji_ screens. It was sleek like she remembered. And of course, the one who answered the door when she rang the bell was none other than - "Hello, Mom." But to say the word was bittersweet since the last time they spoke was not pleasant, and the one they lost was the one who always stayed by her side instead of Sakura's.

Mebuki hadn't changed her appearance either; she was young as ever, which made the daughter wonder if it was natural or cosmetic. Her blonde hair was still at the length of her shoulders, that one bang over the side of her face, and her skin unmarked. "Glad you finally came, Sakura." Then her verdant eyes bulged when they saw Itachi behind her. "Oh, my. You could have picked a better time to bring a new boyfriend before your father's funeral!" Her cheeks turned so pink they looked like peonies. Sakura felt hers burn so hot they could be beets. But Itachi chuckled in amusement.

"Oh, Mrs. Haruno, I'm not a 'boyfriend' as you put it. I'm only a friend of your daughter's -" He extended his hand. "- and it is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Itachi."

"Itachi, huh?" Mebuki blinked as if to make sure she wasn't dreaming. She quickly withdrew her hand. "It's a pleasure, too. This day and tomorrow couldn't get any better. Although," she added when her face fell into a little pout, "if only Kizashi were here. He might have liked you and sat down to give you the -"

Sakura had to interrupt her coldly. There was no time for this garbage. "Honestly, Mom," she said harshly, ruining the mood, "we're not here for this." Now she got a scowl of disapproval, but Mebuki stepped aside for them both to come in, then brusquely snapped at them - mostly at HER - to take off their shoes while they were in her home.

"Sakura, I call you to just be here now that your father is gone, and you talk to me like that in front of your friend?" She turned to stalk around into the direction of the kitchen, likely to get drinks mostly to make the guest himself feel welcome, but also to make him witness to the catfight between estranged mother and daughter.

"You really expect me to be nice after last time when you told me I was making the biggest mistake of my life? When my best friend died on my operating table and it made me open my eyes up? You think I can just be here and pretend everything is fine when it's not?" Sakura said heatedly, clenching her fists at her side. "If you knew that, then you could have not bothered at all since you last told me to just not fret if I was going to not live up to your expectations. Why should Dad dying change a damned thing?" _Oh, you shouldn't have said that - but it's true: why should it change anything?!_

Itachi sucked in a breath behind her; she could almost picture what he was thinking. Something placating and pacifying just to find medium ground.

There was a long, tense silence. Her mother was at the kitchen sink with the pitcher of iced tea she must have recently made, her back facing both her and Itachi, and Sakura was tempted to curse her out when she got a response - and it wasn't what she expected at all.

"I didn't expect any forgiveness from you, but to tell the truth - I wanted to just see my daughter again and say I was sorry. And it only took losing your father to finally make me see it."

 **So, I was talking with my friends about what could transpire between mother and daughter - and whether or not they should reconcile. The end result is what you see, although there is more to come.**

 **Although, don't keep your hopes too high. It's gonna hit the fan, like I said. Stay tuned for the next chapter and see what I mean...**


	18. The Intoxicating Effects

**I'm so pissed. I had the original version saved but then I had to restart my computer because it acted up AGAIN. I should have saved the doc on the website to preserve it, but here I am reduced to restarting all over again - but at least I showed Blue Kitsune, my dear friend, what I did thus far which was what I had lost. :) So it wasn't a complete loss.**

 **Doing the interaction between Sakura and her mother - with Itachi standing by and watching, not interfering - was extremely difficult.**

Chapter Eighteen

The Intoxicating Effects

So, Sakura was gone because her dad had died, and that worried Naruto since she and her mom ended on bad terms. He gulped as he thought of all that drama that could break out, and Itachi being there to witness. But maybe, next weekend, he and Hinata decided that they could all take a trip up to Saitama for the Kumagaya Uchiwa - the fan festival. It would be a day of good food, stuff to buy, and fans to pass out.

That day would also be Sasuke's birthday, so of course he would go with them.

"He's going to be happy," Hinata told him when he brought this up. "When Sakura gets back, she might say yes. I just know it." She was polishing the kitchen sink counter when she said this; they had gotten back from the museum at the end of the night that she wanted to just polish the surfaces and then just pick up tomorrow. That was how she was: the need to always do something unnecessary. And he was helping her out tonight, picking everything up and then putting it back into place when she was done.

Hinata paused and looked at him sadly. "I hope all goes well with her mother. I mean, they haven't spoken in a long time."

"Two years," Naruto agreed. "Long enough. I don't see how her dad's death - not to be cold - could rekindle them in any way." He shook his head. It made him glad he and his dad had a better relationship than that.

~o~

What...just happened?

One second she was angry and venting at the woman who said she was a disgrace, uncaring that her daughter lost her best friend on her own operating table, and now she was saying she was wrong?! "What the hell, Mother?" she spat, not buying this at all. "Is this epiphany going to change things just like that? And why should I believe you now?"

Mebuki shook her head, lowering it, then slowly turned around to raise it again and look at her. "It's nothing like that. I'm telling you the truth." All her life she couldn't look her mother in the eyes, since doing that always made her feel so small, but now that she did, Sakura couldn't believe it, and Itachi who came to stand close behind her had whispered it.

"She means absolutely every word, Sakura."

"You expect me to believe that when you butted in on my business all the time and then told me to never set foot in this house right after Ino died," she spat, turning back to her mother who had all but ignored the iced tea for the time being. "Just treating me like a burden because I couldn't be like you! And now that Dad is gone - the one who was always by your side when I never had him on mine at least once in awhile - you think it's all going to be over just like that." Tears burned the corners of her eyes that Itachi's comforting hand massaging the small of her back only did so little.

"I'm aware of everything, and I know I was never the best mother. I tried to be unlike my own mother who was hardly ever home, but being a parent is easier said than done. As for you living up to my expectations, I never said anything of the sort," Mebuki said indignantly, "because I only wanted what was best for you. I wanted you to have a better life than I ever did; that's a parent's job. Remember the plans we made when you were still a child?"

"That was before losing my best friend made me open my eyes to the fact it was never what my heart was telling me."

Mebuki could have been angry when she said that, like many times when Sakura was still a kid, but she was all but hurt. "What your heart was telling you," she repeated, folding her arms across her torso and leaning back against the counter. "That means you didn't even know what you wanted, but you were sure a doctor wasn't it."

She didn't want to talk about this anymore. She turned on her heel, ignoring Itachi who pleaded with her to stay and just talk it over, but she wanted to just be alone. She headed upstairs to her old room, uncaring if it was changed or not -

\- but when she came, she was surprised to see everything was as she'd left it. Everything from the pastel wallpaper to the shelved porcelain dolls from childhood in traditional historical wear, to the carved vanity that had been Kizashi's mother's, and finally the bed with the simple maroon bedding which had all the comfort she ever could have asked for. She wanted it even if this room was one of many with mixed memories, because it was where she used to vent her anger and frustration, until sometimes her mother would come in after her sensitive ears heard it all, leading to more disagreements. She didn't want to test those waters and see if that changed, because mothers' ears were like dogs and cats.

Sakura threw herself onto the bed, not even kicking her shoes off, and wailed into the pillow. A grown woman weeping like this, having not done it since Ino died, was something often frowned upon, but no one was there to witness.

There was a soft knock on the door. "Go away!" Sakura raised her head to shout, but her wish was ignored. Although the one who came wasn't her mother, thank the gods. "Oh, Itachi." She quickly smothered her face back into the pillow, feeling how hot and wet it was - and embarrassed he was seeing her like this, but then she felt the weight of the bed shift, telling her he was sitting down beside her, and then the weight of his body spooning against hers, one arm wrapping around her waist and staying there. Respecting her space but also giving her the comfort she really needed.

The word just took her back to the time when Hanabi died, and that one thing was how she comforted Sasuke when he was in desperate need. She hadn't done it since they broke up, but she didn't want to use Itachi, his brother, like that.

Yet why did her brain hint that him using his body the way he was meant that he must be thinking about the same thing?

His warm, low voice broke the silence. "She won't come up here. I told her to just give you some time, and she was very understanding - but I saw the pain in her eyes. She truly regrets everything, Sakura. You should talk to her after the services."

She turned her face to the side and into him but not looking up, letting herself breathe. Her body shifted, joining into his, and his arms wrapped around to pull her close...and then his cool lips gently rested against her feverish skin, kissing away her sorrows and slowly lulling her into a slumber in broad daylight.

~o~

"Oh, Orochimaru," she said with a smile when he came into her office that day. She was getting ready to finally have her break and head down to the tea shop since her migraine was getting to her. The aspirin hadn't yet kicked in. He noticed her wince and crossed over.

"Perhaps when I take you out, it will start to subside?"

She accepted his hand which he offered for her. Standing, she grunted and picked up her keys. "Maybe it will. I need a break after all this. But at least the shrine contents will be here in a matter of days." Hinata was utterly excited herself, and at least ashes were mild compared to a real corpse before her eyes. Those photographs could only do so much.

He chuckled. "I look forward to the day. I wish I knew if I could find some chemical compounds that will give us a glimpse into his life. After all, Madara vanished along with the rest of his clan. He and your great-great-grandfather were going to have the talks, but then his people were gone just like that. It's a shame that it is so difficult to step back into the past, Tsunade."

She grunted. "Always has been, and I never thought I'd say these words, but it's so annoying," she said, locking the door and then stuffing the ring back into her jacket pocket. _There are some people who say it's a waste of time if there is nothing solid and groundbreaking. Half of those people think finding things of the past isn't worth it if they have too many questions that don't get answers._

"As annoying as it is for Sakura to head home to the place where she believed she was done with?" Orochimaru supplied as they rounded the corner for the front entrance. She nodded. Thinking about the conflict her protégé had made her dwell on the shattered relationship with her own parents after Nawaki's death. It made her wonder if Sakura and her mother would even reconcile now that her father was gone.

 _I also wonder if Itachi will do any damage control since that is what he's good at._ "Maybe it is," Tsunade answered. "I just hope whatever happens won't affect Sakura when she and Itachi come back Monday."

Orochimaru snickered. "Pity that it won't be an amusing picture if we were there to witness." He opened the door for her to walk out first and into a warm summer without even a breeze. He hummed when he noticed with her; the sunlight radiated off his sleek midnight locks. Young woman or not, she still loved that simple, innocent gesture. He noticed and smirked before changing the subject.

"I have been meaning to ask for awhile now. Naruto was planning to bring the girls up to the festival next weekend, so why don't I treat you, dear Tsunade?"

The Kumagaya Uchiwa where there were fans, food and maybe some more fun to be had? How could she say no? Even the curator deserved that kind of entertainment. By then they would also receive Madara Uchiha's possessions and remains. That called for celebration enough.

~o~

"It's likely you may have lived a past life."

Sasuke blinked with utter surprise. He could hardly believe what he was hearing. "E-excuse me?" He sat up in the chair he was slouched in, bored out of his bones, until she brought up the subject which should have crossed their minds right from the start. On his part: he should have had that idea, but he always thought stuff like that was impossible.

 _Those dreams in a blood-soaked time...was I one of those people in those days? If so, why would these dreams be bothering me instead of leaving me in peace? My life would have been so much better than it is now._ But it was like Hiashi always said: what was done was done. Deal with the present and change the future.

Kurenai chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully as if pondering what she just said. "Typically, we all have lived a previous life but can't recall. It's rare that it would be known. It's possible that you could be one of them, not to lump you," she said apologetically. He nodded, not taking it as offense. "Anyway, the signs are generally your dreams you can't decipher, as well as the sense of déjà vu, irrational fears and odd pains, even identification with another time. Another could be you had such a talent you never had before." She then reached behind her desk, opening a drawer and taking out what looked like a pocket watch. It dawned on Sasuke that she was going to perform hypnosis, which was a technique she used on several patients besides himself to help them remember what they couldn't.

"With this, I'll help you fall asleep and go back to your birthdate. This will then open a door you were never aware of before this life. Just relax and keep your eyes on it..."

The watch was swishing side by side like clockwork, to the point where his brain started to become fuzzy and his body became lax as she softly ordered.

Sasuke closed his eyes, drifting off into his own little world, the colors swirling and becoming fogged until he knew no more...and found himself in a beautiful place that was soon ravaged by the sounds of shouting and weapons clashing.

~o~

The funeral came and went. For the most part, it was a blur to Sakura that she just wanted it over with. She was glad her mother didn't pester her, as promised. All the arrangements were done, and it was held at the family house since Mebuki loved her husband so much she wanted it near and dear to her. Everything summery in the flower arrangements which had pastel roses and carnations, gladioli, lush ti leaves and fern.

Old family friends whom she barely remembered from childhood were glad to see her, and she numbly accepted their condolences. Some of the women - from the young to the elderly - blushed at the sight of Itachi but stayed away because they assumed he was her boyfriend or something. That made her cheeks enflame and her body quiver.

Why was it that when people saw man and woman together, it meant they were a couple? That made no damn sense!

However, her mind, body and heart said something else and agreeing altogether: _because he IS. You've been sharing room and board with him for weeks, you know you like him for so many reasons that you keep forgetting, and it's not just because he's hot._

It was too early to use the word love, because she had it once before and it only ended badly. She wasn't sure she wanted a repeat of history. And because of what happened recently with her father dying and being stuck in her childhood home where she was forced to mingle with people she hadn't seen since she left, all she wanted was to just be with Itachi only since he was the link to her sanity, and he minded nothing at all. After all, he said he was willing to do anything for her even if she felt she didn't deserve it - and if he didn't deserve her either.

That evening, they went out to the local bar for a few drinks, and that was as far as it went. Sakura wanted to just feel light and then head back to the house. Mebuki was heading to sleep for the night, stating she would take a sleeping pill; she'd been taking those ever since her husband died, since she had a hard time sleeping. It also meant she wouldn't even hear the door open by her daughter's hand when she and the guest returned.

She had only three strong shots while Itachi said he would have only one. Somehow he held it stronger than she did tonight, because he wasn't the one in "mourning". "No signs of a possible morning hangover before we depart?" he asked as he took the wheel for her. He didn't yet have a license, but he learned so well! And the bar wasn't even far away, so there were no accidents.

Sakura grunted. "No way. I can't remember the last time I had a hangover - if I ever did. It's always Naruto who has them more than Hinata and I."

"Well, you're lucky if I say so."

From the time he drove them home, and then when he "helped" her in, locking the door for her, his body heat and proximity made her own flare up a little in temperature if the lingering effects of the alcohol didn't. It also made a certain reaction stir in a certain part of her body. It seemed tonight was going to be her chance now that her mother was asleep. "Itachi," she murmured, turning herself into his body and wrapping her arms around him. The action caused him to stiffen.

"Sakura, we shouldn't -"

"Mom is asleep like a log," she interjected, her voice sounding far away to her own ears.

"I know, but are you sure this is a good idea?" he insisted, but despite his words, she felt the obvious thickness that swelled below his abdomen. That wasn't something that was controlled by your own will. Everything was natural and happened for a reason. "I don't want us to end up regretting this in the morning."

She nodded harshly. In the morning, things might be different, but there was also this fact: the first time was a bit of a mess, but then it would get better over time. She remembered her first time with Sasuke like it was yesterday. Although now with his brother, there was going to be no pain involved. How bad could it be?

"If it happens, then it'll happen," Sakura said with finality. "There is a chance it'll get better afterwards. No such thing as a perfect beginning."

A small smile graced his face. "Well, then..." He picked her up then, like she was his new bride, and carried her up the stairs. She burst inwardly with excitement, at the thought this would be a good end to a bad day.

Now, what happens before the two of you dropped down into bed to get busy? _Oh, yes, discarding the clothes._ And that was where they were now, in their undergarments. She was in a black sports bra and briefs while he wore tight gray ones which concealed little to nothing; she had no idea how to describe the statuesque man in front of her. Let's say he was what every magazine and workout cover sported for girls who wanted what they couldn't have. The broad shoulders, raised pectorals and six-pack, downward to firm thighs and slim hips. She wondered how big he would be, now that she looked down at the bulge showing in between his legs. Just looking at him made her feel something she hadn't in a long time.

Those briefs were gone, his long hair pulled from its tie so the raven mane fell over both shoulders.

Sakura was so distracted by looking at him that she hadn't noticed his hesitation when she finally saw that he hadn't moved from his position. Couldn't have been that she was still half-naked compared to him. "What's wrong?"

"When we start, I have to...pull out at the end," he answered. "I don't want to get you pregnant, Sakura."

She had no idea whether to laugh or to look at him with disbelief. _That's what he's afraid of. And all he knows is just pulling out before ejaculation. Oh, and he has no idea about condoms._ Clearing her throat, she walked past him to pick up her handbag which had the box she got before they left, having been hopeful, and the expiration date wasn't until early next month. "That's not going to be a problem." She held up one of the wrapped pieces in front of his curious eyes before tearing it open and taking it out, kneeling before him and securing it on the bulbous tip. He stifled his groan, not out of pain. She had her time to look briefly at his composed reaction and then at the thing she covered with the rubber. Swollen and thick, measured at about eight inches - damn, he was BIGGER than Sasuke! Sakura leaned her face forward and pressed a kiss above that spot, at the top line where his pubic nest began, which was where it was sensitive for him and increased the twitch of his hard-on. Itachi jumped a little, looking down at her in shock as if he never expected her to do something like that. "You've never heard of this or something?" Sakura teased, standing up without finishing her job that would have given him pleasure beyond his wildest dreams.

"That's absolutely scandalous!" Itachi exclaimed. "I don't know why that even exists. We never even spoke about it where I am from. Especially in the ancient textbook on tantra."

Laughing, Sakura went about to pushing down her underwear and pulling off her bra so her breasts bounced before his eyes. "A lot of things in the modern world that don't surprise anymore." _You really ARE old-fashioned, aren't you?_

She was laying down in her bed by then, and he was elevated above her, their mouths feverishly latching without any tongue sticking in. His powerful body could only belong to a warrior, which was more than she could have hoped for. She gasped when he broke the kiss and then moved to gently lap his tongue and lips over her shoulder and down to the top of her breast. "Does it bother you?" she asked quietly. "That I'm not a virgin? That I was...your brother's?"

"Not at all," he answered breathily, raising his head to look at her. His bangs framed the side of his handsome face, taking her breath away. She leaned up and kissed him along the jawline.

 _I want you, Itachi. I want you so much I'm hurting to the deepest pits of hell._

When she said the words, his smile stretched along either side, and he gently but quickly inserted himself into her slick, pushing past her curls and finding her hypersensitive opening, driving her to heights that awoke like a volcano after centuries of slumbering. She moaned and threw her head back, hands holding onto his shoulders as the altitudes climaxed with the highest point they voyaged. Itachi - Itachi the human god he was - drove into her with a great frenzy that only a primitive on the hunt would instill. And it was nothing she could remember in her life. When morning came, she swore her clear head would never regret what happened. She hoped he would do the same.

The next pound washed away all doubts. He was so good at this, wasn't he? Making her forget all the troubles...

~o~

What he and Sakura had done...the word sex did not do justice. That was not the only thing they had. His body could not stop throbbing when he roused to awareness, and he found himself looking at her when he faced her. At her wild rosy hair and the blanket covering everything but that one breast and nipple which peaked only because of the air, and at her peaceful face as she lay on her side facing him.

Itachi smiled, half-closing his eyes as he reached out with his arm to stroke the side of her face, mesmerized by the silk of her skin and happier than he'd been in ages -

\- but it was then that he noticed the flesh from his hand to his elbow was darker than before. And _sanded._ Sharply gasping and holding it between his teeth, Itachi quickly sat up without waking Sakura up. Horror overcame him as he realized what was happening to him.

 _I need to feed. I need to find_ someone...

How could it have happened at a time like this? And how long ago had this begun? Looking at the clock, he saw that it had been four hours - it was well past one - since he and Sakura came back and made love for the first time. But now he needed to find someone to sustain, and the problem was WHO and where he would find a person at this time of the night. Because at this time, only few people would be out of bed. Gritting his teeth, Itachi slid out and slipped on his underwear and then his jeans, quietly leaving the room to just stand out in the hallway.

His attention fell to Mebuki's closed bedroom door across the hallway.

 **Saitama is a real prefecture in Japan, where the Uchiwa, Sakura and Kumagaya fireworks festivals also take place. The Uchiwa occurs from July 19-23 (SASUKE'S BIRTHDAY). :D**

 **Kurenai's list of the symptoms that a person may have lived a past life are six most common as well as a couple others I forgot about.**

 **Reviews appreciated now that ItaSaku lemon finally came after the long wait. I know you all wanna say what made you hot. ;D Like it did to me when I was bringing it to life.**

 **And so: Sakura dealt with her father's funeral, then consummated her relationship with Itachi, and afterwards it is implied Itachi has just committed what he felt was a sin greater than before. When Sakura learns of this, there is no telling...**


	19. The Inspection

**When I did Itachi being shocked in the previous chapter at Sakura giving him a blowjob, afterwards I thought I'd written him like that before, but then it was confirmed in chapter 18 of a past fic of mine, "The Shogun's Otome", that when his wife (Naruto AKA femNaruto) did the act for him, he protested that it wasn't proper. XD I mean, the Japanese are shocked in real life at blatant talk about the human body.**

Chapter Nineteen

The Inspection

Morning broke, and she didn't even want to leave bed at first. She hadn't felt so good in ages. Sakura smiled when she looked ahead at the wall. The blanket was around her waist instead of up to her chest. _That was some night we had. When we get back home..._

And she thought she'd been made a woman in high school. She felt like one more than ever. And it wasn't just the physical act, but something much deeper.

Her stomach growled, both from the drinks of last night as well as hunger itself. Giggling to herself, Sakura turned around to look at Itachi who was laying there, looking up at the ceiling with an unreadable expression which troubled her. "I hope you're not regretting it like you said last night," she warned, draping one arm across her chest.

He looked at her then, surprised for a second before he smiled and reached out, the back of his hand caressing her cheek. She closed her eyes at the caress. "No, not at all. I was just lost in thought. Last night has no words and doesn't need them." _That means you want more out of us, like I do, but why do you look so distracted? What were you thinking about?_ She didn't want to ask him because she didn't want to ruin the moment, so she slid closer and laid herself halfway atop his body. If only they weren't leaving today; she wanted to spend all day with him like this. But this was also her mother's house, so that meant Mebuki could come in without knocking like she used to do. Clearing her throat, Sakura was the first to leave, making Itachi furrow his brows as he watched her.

"Leaving, remember?" she reminded him. "And Mom could come in anytime she wanted without knocking."

"Don't wish to take the chances." He nodded, stretching out in the bed before slipping out. There was that damned fine body for her eyes, making her mouth water like a grand feast in which she had no idea where to begin. His ass and thigh muscles rippled with each movement as he went to grab his night bag for his other set of clothes.

The smell of last night was on the air, but it was nothing she wanted to clean off. She felt like cleaning up when they got back to the apartment. Having Itachi on her as well as knowing she was on him - that was a mark of possession that was exciting and oh, so right. Then the sculpted back was covered by a loose navy shirt with a V-neck, and the majestic legs as well as those other manly parts by faded jeans. As for her: sleeveless, light cotton dress with intricate lace and beads at the neck. White as the spring and summer clouds. If she didn't have that little layer beneath the skirt, perverts would have glimpsed her assets that only one man now had access to, and he would want to pummel them like a real man so there was nothing left but bloody noses, bruises and broken bones.

"Mom?" she called when they were leaving the room, and that was when she saw her bedroom door opened. Going over to it, she peeked in and noted that the bed was made, nothing else looking out of place. _That means she's awake and probably downstairs._

"I'll go down and check," Itachi told her, slinging his bag over one shoulder. "Perhaps she's busy cooking." He paused after two steps down, furrowing his brow when he looked at her, knowing what she was thinking.

 _I don't smell food at all. Unless she made it already and put it either in the fridge or the microwave._

They left their bags at the front door along with their sandals, so they could look around the house to see where Mebuki was. Sakura saw her car missing from the driveway, which told her that her mother must have gone out. That was odd; she would go out just as her daughter and the guest - _nope, not just "guest" anymore_ \- were preparing to leave? When would she be home?

Itachi called to her from the kitchen. "I found a note." He held it out to her, between his index and middle finger. Taking it, recognizing her mom's hand, she read what it said.

 _Went out to run errands. I will be back later, but you and Itachi can go ahead and eat before you leave._

 _Sakura, you don't ever have to speak to me again if it makes life easier for you. I'm going to have to adjust to living on my own now that your father is gone. It's not like I don't have friends to help me cope with this, just like you have friends waiting for you, where you have really made yourself happy. I only wish the best of you - and good luck with Itachi since I know it when I see it._

The note slipped out of her fingers. She swore mentally: _I'm NOT going to let this get to me. I am not going to cry._ She looked up at Itachi who was shaking his head. "Missed her chance," he murmured, leaning forward to kiss her brow.

Sakura could only nod numbly. Now she really wanted to get out of here and eat when they got home. Totally ignoring that something was wrong in this house besides the note and missing car...

~o~

"Man, this is going to hit the jackpot!" Shikamaru said enthusiastically when the crates were brought into the storage room for unpacking and inspection. "I thought they would never get here. The hype is such a drag, but not like I'm not looking forward to the opening night whenever we get there."

The crowbar in Itachi's hands - he just felt like action to try and take his mind off of what he'd done over the previous weekend, which he regretted so much that he wondered how in the hell he managed to sleep at night since then - removed all four nailed corners of the crate painted brightly red **FRAGILE** in its kanji of **さくい** so they could see what was nestled within the bubble wrap as well as straw. Kiba Inuzuka, a coworker, grunted as he lifted up the sole item which overwhelmed Itachi's core as he took in the luxurious red vase handled and lidded with ivory, painted with white camellias and gold leaves which surrounded the red-and-white fans of his deceased clan. _Grandfather's ashes are inside this thing._ He hadn't been extremely emotionally close to the man, but he was a better mentor than his own father ever was, so to see him and unable to cradle it because Inuzuka was handling the possessions with several others was a numbing feeling.

And what was more: Madara's armor was in a couple separate other crates, finished with his various weapons in others. If only the old man were alive so that he could have told him the many wonderful things he'd tasted and experienced, but the troubles were the ones who were hunting him as well as his own curse.

What he did to Mebuki was inexcusable, despite being an act of desperation and knowing that mother and daughter would never truly reconcile despite his medium ground. Sakura would not know that he forged the letter - having copied Mebuki's handwriting with his Sharingan - and then drove her car off to a far enough location where her daughter wouldn't see it right away, or anyone else, hopefully. The dried out remains were hidden away in a trunk in the closet where it wouldn't be the first place to be looked, then made the bed himself.

Not only that, but Itachi loathed himself for even touching Sakura because he killed her mother, and keeping it from her ate him away if deprivation didn't.

She didn't even notice his torment. _Yet._

When the contents were brought up on dollies to the first floor, the staff greeted the sight with thunderous applause, and it was a rare treat to see Tsunade with misty eyes and her hands clasped in front of herself like a proud mother who saw her child succeeding. Orochimaru had an arm around her waist, clearly hinting that they were more than just colleagues. It didn't surprise Itachi, for those two had known each other all their lives, and here the woman had someone in her heart when it was empty after she lost another. Sharing a replacement for something else they lost - _me, still unknowing I am walking among them._

Naruto and Hinata's eyes sparkled when they were brought to her as well as the head of their department, who happened to be Iruka Umino himself - the one who found the urn and its companions. He had the brightest smile on his face than anyone had ever seen, because he couldn't have been more proud of himself. _And if I didn't know any better, I'd say he looks at Naruto and Hinata like they were real brother and sister to him._ That was based on the way he had his arms around each of their shoulders, semi keeping them close - and all excited to take a closer look.

At least Hinata would be spared the trauma of looking over a real corpse.

"In two days, the board will want to see the contents, so Iruka - make sure your team gathers any necessary data that you can." Tsunade spoke this bitterly and crossed her arms over her chest.

Itachi wasn't sure if he wanted to come across anyone of the board of directors or not, if she hated them that much. They oversaw much of the budget, the government contracts and so on. Hinata's father was one of them. _Another broken, irreparable parent-child relationship._ But if Itachi had any say about it, he would say that they had a chance better than Sakura and her mother - without him coming in between to permanently wreck it.

He'd been told the Hyuuga family rift was due to the death of Hanabi, the youngest, which Hiashi blamed himself...except Sasuke was torn more than the rest of them. He was the one to avoid his adoptive family by enlisting in the army, which Itachi thought was the coward's way out. But here he was home again and trying to make things right again.

He glanced at Sakura and lit inwardly when he saw her flushed complexion. That was one of the signs she was excited at something new coming in to the collection. He loved that about her, how she wore her heart on her sleeve at the right time.

 _I wonder if Sasuke loved it at one time - and still does._

When the weekend would come, they were all going to the Uchiwa festival in Saitama, which was a good couple hours' drive from here and nestled above Tokyo - which, long ago, was the great fishing village of Edo. He'd seen pictures of it and had been blown away at the sight of the large buildings and technology.

But first came the examination of the armor and weapons, all of which took Itachi back to the days when he would look upon his grandfather who was ever more powerful as he'd been in his prime. Then again at the vase which had the man whose body he would never see again. He was never told what happened to Madara, so he assumed the man was either taken prisoner or just vanished when his clan was murdered. This was before Itachi was given his orders.

And Grandfather would be on display for the world to see, very soon, and he was going to be immortalized rather than being hidden away in a lonely mountain like he'd been in the last six centuries.

The information known about Madara Uchiha was that he had a track record of spending every day on the battlefield, lost his younger brother in the process, and his primary opponent was Hashirama Senju, who was Tsunade's great-great-grandfather - and his namesake was none other than the man who built this museum. Other than the failed talks, then the Uchiha's disappearance, Madara's whereabouts were unknown. But now new theories were pointing to the fact he could have died from his age after running away, then left instructions on his burial which had long since turned to dust, or it could be that he was killed with the rest of his people and then hidden away. If that was possible, then more Uchiha could be out there.

But Itachi knew: all the Uchiha corpses were burned and then their ashes scattered. Except him and somehow his grandfather.

When the day finally came, four members of the board came: Hiashi Hyuuga, Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and...

The Uchiha felt his blood grow cold at the name of the last one. _Oh, no, it's you._ He had to keep himself hidden, but there was still a chance he would be noticed. Shikamaru shook his head as he was with him. "Yeah, it's troublesome. The old man is the one Tsunade clashes with the most. She tells us all to stay far away from him more than the others." _And a very good reason, too._

Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado were the ones he was certain were disliked easily on sight. Both of them gray-haired, the woman's hair piled tightly atop her head, and the man with a beard and glasses. Her face was apparently a permanent squint while his had a frown that seemed to be the only facial reaction he could give. Itachi already deciphered they cared about the museum as a whole instead of the individuals within.

Finally seeing Hiashi Hyuuga, there indeed was a descendent of one of the few surviving samurai clans who no doubt received the respect as did their ancestors. But when he glanced at his daughter from a distance, she avoided eye contact altogether. He looked sad for a second before refocusing his pleased eye on the newly discovered artifacts which would be on display in a matter of days - maybe weeks?

But it was the one whom he had not seen since his death, the last face he saw before the cloth was placed over his mouth and nose - the face which was the same as he remembered crystal clear - only that was his ancestor back then. _He's the last of his line._ And his presence was going to shatter everything, he was sure of it. As well, he hated how the hawk kept his eye on Tsunade like she was a threat he had to get rid of somehow. Not to mention: he didn't even say something that was deserving of the great finding! Only that the remains of the last leader of the Uchiha clan would be beneficial to this museum, and that hopefully it wouldn't go missing after some time.

Hinting none other than Itachi himself.

Their eyes - both of Itachi's, and the other's only one which wasn't hidden by bandages - locked as soon as _Danzo Shimura_ was done talking. The old man's narrowed as the message was clear, causing Itachi to hold his ground:

 _It's YOU._

~o~

"Wow, that was really interesting," Naruto said with a grunt, relieved when those old windbags - excluding Hiashi - left the research laboratory where the urn, armor and weapons were still being examined, and why did it not surprise anyone that there would be no real enthusiasm besides that from his fiancée's father? _Well, dear old Daddy does express it like it is._

Those other three? Obviously, that squint-eyed hag and the scowling spectacle were never deserving even if it seemed they had the museum's best interests. What was there to say about the last one?

Hinata giggled as she sat down in front of the vase which was under the scope and surrounded by the tools for deeper inspection. It hadn't been opened yet because it was very delicate. The name carved at the very bottom was full confirmation without anything else, and all the history texts and limited information about the Uchiha were all they had to work with in terms of what they were going to tell the public. "Yeah," she said as she picked up the scalpel to make the first gentle incision around the top of the lid, with intention to remove any natural cement that might have gathered there.

Naruto himself was examining the weaponry that was on the table, which was typical of the mid-1400s like the Uchiha mummy's weapons were: from the katana to the bow and arrow, _naginata_ pole-arm and finally the utility belt which carried the one-handed _jutte_ and _kanabō_ club as well as the chained _kusarigama_ sickle. They were intact, but the blades - except the sword - were otherwise rusted and peeling in a few places.

"This is Tsunade's decision," Hinata was saying, "but if we never find our mummy, these weapons could go on display in his place." And that would take at least a few months of renovation, removing the cryo-preservation chamber and remake it into a normal display for all of Madara Uchiha's possessions, except his armor would need a separate display if staying close to the other artifacts. Or if another mummy were to come along, then Madara's had to just be placed somewhere else.

 _It's been awhile since we even brought him up._

It was then that Iruka came in and smiled at their work so far, before it turned serious and he asked them to come see what was happening outside - and what they saw was a shocker. _But a damned good one._

Old Danzo was being accompanied by three police officers, and in front was none other than Dad with a somber expression. Naruto knew that look from all his life and had a feeling where this might be going: Danzo was being questioned by the police in regards of the missing Uchiha mummy, or maybe the one in custody? Or both?

"Oh, Naruto," Hinata whispered, "does this mean what I think it does?" He nodded without a word, squeezing her hand in his.

It was then that he saw the gathering of people which formed as they, too, saw Danzo leave on authority escort with Minato in the lead. Some were shocked, others smirking - in the latter category fell Granny Tsunade who thought to be there to witness one of her biggest enemies and deserved a small dose of victory, not minding a jinx, since Danzo Shimura's history included suspicions of black market activity which were never proven.

What about this time?

 _They had better get him this time, or else. If he hired that thug, then I'll be damned. What if they can find our man if it isn't too late?_

Moving past the old lady, he saw Sakura and Itachi standing a bit too close to each other. He'd seen this ever since they came back from her father's funeral last weekend. His protective side kicked in despite seeing how happy they seemed together, knowing what this meant.

Itachi had become part of their family, but there was still so much they didn't know about him. Naruto, for some reason, began to think the obvious, because he had no idea why he never noticed before.

Or how about this: why didn't he spot the resemblance between Itachi and the _Uchiha Warrior mummy?_ Now that he looked closely at the guy's face...

 **Perhaps it seemed forced at the end when Naruto started his suspicions again, in a heat of the moment based on just a glimpse at one of his best friends with the one still considered "new guy", but I felt it necessary if we are going to get to the climax, which is a few more chapters soon. Though will he jump the gun without proof and risk interfering with the newly formed ItaSaku? Let's find out - and let's see about Danzo as well as his hired hands, including Fuu who I am still thinking about what to do with.**

 **It's highly possible he has escaped, but I wanted it to be sold the right way.**

 **Still no reviews since the last few chapters. Pretty please? :(**


	20. The Festival of the Fans

**Since things are just getting hotter than before, I'm done dragging something on and on, since I looked back and realized it, but that doesn't mean it will all be done in a flash. We got a few chapters left, after all.**

 **Major warning: a trigger for those who are sensitive to sepukku or the modern forms.**

Chapter Twenty

The Festival of the Fans

Minato surprised her by appearing in her office, having not notified her he was coming. But when he did, what he said stunned her.

"We have reason to believe, based on extensive search and with enough time and effort, that one of the members of your board might have hired Kyou Ito," he told her, sitting down in the visitors' chair. "Based on what we talked about. I had guys in the street, sneaking in and getting everything they could. As you know, Danzo Shimura is known for being suspected in shady activities but never proven, and having the best lawyers. Though this time we might have him for sure."

She might have heard herself gasp - out of elation and shock. "You mean to tell me, Danzo, the man who is the main rat trailing after my crumbs, was the one to steal MY mummy?!" Tsunade demanded.

He nodded grimly. "Looks like it - or at least orchestrated. Which is why we would like to bring him in for questioning, but we are also not gonna take any chances. If he's this good, then he might cover his tracks. We're going to get the warrant to search his office and his residence before the day is over, but right now we would like to ask him to come with us. If he was the hirer, we just have to proceed with further evidence we can gather. He could head to jail for a long time, or we could just place him on house arrest. It's obvious he might not have much longer to live since he is that age," he stated with a single, brief shrug.

That left so many possibilities: either Danzo had the mummy in his own possession and thus staged the burglary, with the best hired hand he could find who really did cover up the security and killed two guards - or he sold the mummy so it would never be traced again. "What of the Uchiha mummy itself?" She really had to know just to try and put her conscience at ease; her pupils deserved to know after all this time, themselves.

"We found no likely paperwork proof of any dealings with its name, no known cadavers or organs and the likes of ancient preservation on the black market, which eliminates the possibility that it was sold. That means it could be at his residence under lock and key. But it's only a theory."

Growling, Tsunade accepted that. If she didn't say it enough, she hated theories. _Just when wounds were starting to heal._

"There is also something else, Tsunade."

"What now?"

Minato was slightly taken aback. "The man in custody who refuses to talk, Fuu Yamanaka - and who resisted all methods we could try on him, even the truth serum Morino specialized himself - escaped from custody yesterday, but we're looking for him," he answered.

Tsunade jumped up in her chair, livid to her bones. The man who attacked Itachi had gotten away?! Was he coming back here? She demanded to know from poor Minato who cleared his throat and straightened up, standing as well. "It's possible he might. He refused to say why he did the deed, just as he claims he was alone in the implication. I recommend that Itachi have surveillance at all times, like updating the security systems and whatever you need to. Yamanaka said he had no idea where Itachi lived, but Naruto told me he was staying with Sakura. I don't think he might catch him at home, but I could be wrong, so I'm going to have police officers watch them without them knowing it and interfering in their activities."

She cleared her throat, nodding with agreement, because she didn't trust her own voice at the moment. "I accept these suggestions, Minato. Is there anything else before you leave and take that rat snake with you?" It was no secret of her feud with Danzo, and she just wanted him out of her sight, to get this over with.

Minato answered that was all, but there was one more thing, and she was to tell Sakura herself: "I know her father passed away recently, but we got a call regarding her mother. She's been missing since last Friday. We're still looking, though, and no one has been in the house since the funeral of her husband. We found her car and registration abandoned in the wood a good few miles from the neighborhood."

Her blood ran cold before it numbed altogether. This was something poor Sakura couldn't bear. And she'd returned on Saturday with Itachi, without seeing her mother, didn't she?

~o~

First her dad died, then her mom was missing. And it had to be Tsunade of all people to break this to her, right after the fun show of seeing old man Danzo being led away by police. But she explained that Minato thought it best she learned it from her superior rather than him, since there was the suspect to deal with.

Sakura had no idea how to feel, but she just hoped her mother was still alive somewhere. "Mom's car was found abandoned somewhere outside the neighborhood, maybe in the early morning of Saturday," she told her friends that evening when they made way for Neji's bar.

"You think she was kidnapped or something?" Hinata asked, opening the door for all of them.

"I hope not. She could just be doing her own means of coping with Dad dying. I don't know how I'd really feel if she was really dead." But inside, she was sure she'd just be numb, or was she wrong? That could only change if she saw the body and know for sure Mebuki was gone. She looked at Itachi; the two of them were the last to see her before the day of the funeral ended, and all there was from her was the note in HER hand they saw the next morning.

Naruto shrugged. "If you ask me, she probably found some guy and just went off for the sake of comfort - no offense, Sakura," he added sheepishly, but she didn't take it as offense. "Dad might find the time to ask you himself, I know it. Just like I'm sure he'll get that old man for sure." That grin widened, making her smile.

Itachi chuckled, pulling Sakura's chair for her to sit in. It was then that he saw the person they had all been too distracted to notice when they first came in: a certain duck-haired raven with a Scotch glass in hand. "Sasuke, this is a pleasant surprise!"

"Oh, it's all of you," he answered, offering a faint smile at every single one of them - including her. "I didn't think I'd see you tonight since it's the middle of the week."

"Yeah, well, we made an exception because of what happened today," Naruto said. "Hey, Neji, what's on the menu tonight?"

Sakura tuned out the answer, since not only because she liked whatever Neji had which was always the best, to listen to Sasuke. "It'd better be something juicy that doesn't involve another scandal," he said, taking a small sip from his glass.

"Oh, not at all," Itachi said, "but a member of the board called into questioning regarding the missing mummy and something more interesting..."

Sasuke snorted, a smirk coming into place. Then it vanished. "Speaking of interesting, now that you are all here..." The drinks had arrived, and that was when he finished his and asked for another from Neji. "...I feel I should tell you something that should have been answered a long time ago. It's about those dreams."

That caused a stunned silence to permeate in the air, but Sakura could have sworn she was stricken herself. _Sasuke, you..._ Her thoughts trailed off then and there, and Naruto was the one to blurt his surprise, "W-wait a minute, does that mean you finally figured it out with help from Kurenai?"

Sasuke nodded, and what he said shook the entire foundation...and no one noticed that Itachi nearly lost hold on his shot glass.

"They're all memories of my previous life."

~o~

 _I'm a member of the extinct Uchiha clan._

No, correction: he was not directly descended, because those people had been gone since the 1400s, without even a trace except their battles and some of their living - not at all different from typical samurai - in textbooks, but he was a _reincarnation_ of the last member who had been spared when his clan was butchered in the late night.

His name was _Sasuke Uchiha._

When Kurenai was done with her tactics, she was just as stunned as he was. "My God," she said, "then that means you know more about them than anyone else does."

How could he? The original Sasuke was just a child and understood nothing. All he could think about was his life afterwards: the boy had little recollection about his childhood, but his mother was a loving, beautiful woman named Mikoto, who looked after him and the home, ready to kill any threat she could. She was even too wise to be married to someone like Fugaku Uchiha - son of Madara Uchiha, a legend among them all. He had a happy childhood, was eager to learn the ways of the warrior...but the next day, it was all over when he discovered his clan was gone. No traces of them, not even a body laying around.

 _Including my BROTHER._

He was taken in by the Hyuuga clan, where he lived a life as a servant instead of becoming the great warrior he dreamed about; the Uchiha and the Hyuuga hated each other as much as he'd scarcely been aware his people were majorly rivaled against the Senju. As he scrubbed the floors, sold whatever he was told in the streets, even helped his employers dress, tend to their weapons - even eat and sleep where he was told with the other servants - his bitterness and resentment grew to the point he swore he would one day leave and make a name for himself if his family was gone.

He only ended up becoming a ronin, a masterless samurai, and the work he did wasn't enough to earn him a position in a respectable household. He could have stayed with the Hyuuga, but he was too proud to bend to them. He wanted so much more, to live up to his family and also for himself, so he left that place where his life was hell. He enjoyed freedom, enjoyed honing his strength, but sometimes he felt it wasn't enough.

Then, one day, he learned what happened to his brother - as well as the truth behind the disappearance with his clan. But if he told anyone, no one would believe him because of his status, never mind he was an Uchiha. It would be even more tainted than it already was.

He didn't know who the man was, but when he told him his brother _ITACHI_ \- _the face in my childhood crystal clear_ \- was dead, and his world ended then and there. He'd believed, all his life, that his brother had to still be alive because _Itachi_ was so perfect and so strong at his age, that their father and grandfather groomed him. But he was gone, and then Sasuke felt his life was over.

The image was raw and fresh, causing him to squeeze his eyes as he remembered it.

 _He was kneeling on the ground, in the middle of the forest, legs crossed and the dagger handle in hand, the blade turned inward...and when it met the target which was the middle of his abdomen, the pain was just as powerful as the one in his heart for many things he lost: his clan._

 _His reputation._

 _But most of all - his brother._

 _Blood and his organs spilled onto the grass in a multitude of obscene colors, which his body fell into as his life left him._

That was all that came to Sasuke's mind when he roused back to awareness, and now he shared it with his friends - including Itachi, whose true identity he now figured out. Aware of the horror from his best friend, his ex-girlfriend and his adoptive siblings, Hinata in near tears and Sakura biting her lip to the point of drawing blood. Naruto's lips were drawn back like a feral fox while Neji was visibly clenching his jaw.

His eyes were locked with Itachi's, knowing what the other was thinking and why he came all the way out here from Mt. Yudono so many weeks ago.

 _Itachi...you're my real brother._

~o~

If he had his opportunity, he would have had his eyes activated and see into Sasuke's mind for the images of the past; if he had his chance at the festival which would also be his long-lost younger sibling's birthday, he was positive he would end up risking revealing his true self.

Sasuke's memories awoke. And he recognized HIM, his brother who awoke in this time to find him and live a life which was denied from him.

It had finally happened. Itachi fought to keep the dam together before it would release the flood. But before he could have his chance to utter any words, his throat sore but he didn't care, Sasuke was up and leaving, but not before he paid his tab and said good night to Neji, then to his friends. Leaving them all stunned and Naruto saying he needed more drinks after this, but Sakura sternly said that it wasn't going to happen because of what today was. Hinata was ashen as if she'd seen a ghost, settling on rubbing her fiancé's back, and that was when Itachi glimpsed the blue stone around her ring finger, making him smile which hurt more than he thought.

It ought to be him who needed more than Naruto, not because Sasuke refused to stay long enough to talk to him, assuming there was a reason, but because he couldn't stop thinking about the extension of the life Sasuke had lived. Being a slave to the Hyuuga - a stark contrast to today, before his very eyes - then living as a warrior for hire, not achieving his dream, then deciding his life wasn't worth living after finding out his older brother whom he loved so much was indeed dead.

Itachi decided, for the sake of his sanity, he didn't want to see that image.

Later that night, he and Sakura lay in bed, without having had intimate contact, but they were naked because of the humid weather and with the sheets covering them. "You're quiet," she noted quietly as they lay in the dark, her back to his chest.

He sighed. What could he tell her? The truth that would just result in the reaction which would no doubt leave her horrified and disgusted, or at least mad? "Just Sasuke," he answered. "He recognized me at last when he looked at me."

She turned her face halfway to him. "I heard it's possible we have all lived a past life, but we don't always know it. There are only a few ways to make it happen. Itachi...does that mean you might be a reincarnation of the older brother of his name?" she asked.

 _They believe just that, which is only HALF the truth. Maybe that will work instead of coming out with the entire truth._

But somehow he doubted it would last there.

It happened that Sasuke's birthday was exactly as it was centuries ago. When the day finally came, he chose then to sneak some time to speak to his brother after an eternity of waiting. It was a beautiful summer day, with a faint breeze that went on and off. It was a good day for him to wear his navy t-shirt and khaki shorts. As for Sakura, she donned a pretty olive green sleeveless blouse and white knee pants. She showed him around, Naruto and Hinata not far behind and just enjoying themselves, Sasuke elsewhere - for now - and she explained to him what the Kumagaya Uchiwa Festival was.

Founded in 1750, it became the focal point where the _mikoshi_ \- the _palanquin_ litter structure fashioned into a Shinto - was created to "transport" a deity during the event. The lush red and gold structure looked like royalty in his day. This event was also significant in which this town prospered via the silk industry growth; _dashi_ soups would be brought to show how rich their owners were, and today it continued with being twelve kinds altogether to be drawn by adults and children who marched in the streets. In that Meiji era - where reformations would begin - the hand-held fans would be distributed amongst the visitors.

The gong would be hit along with the music that had the crowds going. Itachi found himself admiring his fan given to him, smiling at the two birds on a branch of red japonica. Hers was shades of blue with a few fluttering butterflies as well as pink blossoms.

The streets were all lined up with marvelous things like sweets, various foods that made his mouth water, perfumes and beauty products, and some articles of clothing themed for today. "I'm going to get a few things, so why don't you go ahead and enjoy yourself and get us some food?" Sakura offered, which he gladly agreed to and kissed her forehead before letting her go. Chuckling, he watched her go to the perfume stand, wondering why she would need something like that when he liked her natural aroma as it was.

There he saw Naruto and Hinata happily together, and he treated her by getting her a brand new shirt that looked like it might fit her perfectly: a t-shirt royal purple and printed with an inky black fairy reaching for sparkling gems that looked like stars. Her eyes sparkled as she held it up against herself.

And then he saw Orochimaru and Tsunade. _Getting all the more serious, I see._

Finally, there was the one that mattered most to him, standing in front of him now and with his fan closed, held to him so Itachi could see nothing but the creamy background. "Itachi," Sasuke said, intently watching him without an expression.

Itachi responded by saying the younger's name - and what he heard next shocked him utterly and received a tidal wave.

" _Brother."_

Unable to contain himself, Itachi took him into his arms and just held him for a long time. Never mind that a crowd was around, he let the tears fall down the corners of his eyes; Sasuke's burned his skin which was exposed at his neck, and the younger's body quaked as he fought not to let his emotions tear his body apart.

Itachi gently rubbed his back in small circles, softly shushing him and keeping his closed fan in one hand. "Ssh, I'm here, little brother. I waited my whole life to see you. I crossed thousands of miles just to..."

 _Just to experience this bliss I was deprived of - and to see you and hold you like this. To just be here as your brother._

 **When I was looking at Japanese summer festivals, I was utterly impressed with the Kumagaya Uchiwa and utterly ecstatic when I noticed so much irony (such as where the name Uchiha came from as well as Sasuke's birthday being the last of the five days of the real festival), and really was hyped about the great stuff that takes place. :D**

 **So, in terms of finally getting to the tearjerking reunion of the Uchiha brothers, I was taking great care to not force anything out, and I was worried of making either of them OOC in terms of them getting everything off their chests, but that will be elaborated soon. Just review and am glad you enjoyed what you all waited for. :)**


	21. The Detective Work Begins

**Before I began this chapter, I was doing the last couple new chapters of The Ronin and the Emperor's Daughter (still yet to be put up). I also had to try and think about what to do with Itachi and Sasuke now that the brothers reunited, since we ARE reaching the end. Time to close the ends.**

Chapter Twenty-One

The Detective Work Begins

To be at the fan festival of all places, on his birthday - he had no idea whether or not to say if it were truly real, or if he was asleep and would just wake up from a dream.

To find out he was a reincarnation of the last Uchiha who took his own life in disgrace - and because his brother gave his life for HIM - was one thing, but to find his _blood brother_ in this life was another. He wasn't sure if he could call this a case of identity crisis when he was finally coming to terms and was handling this better than anything he had in his life. The Hyuuga were all he'd known, and this wasn't going to change anything.

Was this what closure felt like?

How could he easily have fallen into Itachi's embrace as if they'd never been strangers - _fate in the blood, withstanding the test of time_ \- and cried without shame, without a care that someone could be watching? And to hear those words which he had waited to hear, without ever knowing it would have come to this: "I waited my whole life to see you. I crossed thousands of miles just to..."

"It-Itachi," he remembered croaking. "My brother...you're here."

"Yes, I am," the elder breathed back. "I wanted to see you again for so long I couldn't bear to be away anymore. All my dreams of imagining what you would look like - and by the gods, you've grown up! - and to just be your brother again. After everything I gave up so you could live in another life. We had been apart for so long..." Itachi's embrace had increased to the point of smothering him and making Sasuke sharply exhale; he thought he wasn't going to breathe if he kept this up!

"But, brother," Sasuke said, taking a few breaths to calm himself down, "why did life have to keep us apart like this? Why did..." If Itachi had been forced to end his own life just so HE could live, why did it have to be like that? _And who made him do it? Whoever it was, they are long gone, so I can't even have revenge if I wanted to._

His brother looked him square in the eyes when he answered. "I wished the outcome was different, Sasuke. I gave everything up in exchange for you to live. I loved you even more than I did the rest of our clan." Then his eyes darkened.

"The one responsible for my death is alive in this life - at least, a descendant. He's someone I know I have to handle myself."

~o~

Tsunade couldn't remember the last time Sasuke Hyuuga ever set foot in her museum, but for as long as it had been, when they were all kids, she saw Hinata's brother only once or twice; he'd never been really fascinated with history unless it was something that really interested him.

Her bubble burst when Sakura told her that she'd been dumped by this young man, as well as the story behind it - but here she was hearing a story that shook the foundation they stood on. _It's long been possible we all lived a past life, but seldom do we find out. We go all our lives without ever knowing._

Yet here Sasuke was, with Sakura on his left and Itachi on the right, both siding with him as he broke the ice that he was a reincarnate of the last member of the Uchiha samurai - correction, he was Sasuke _Uchiha,_ the survivor who was left an orphan and grew up as a servant in the Hyuuga household, then became a ronin until he took his own life in disgrace upon learning what happened to his older brother... _Itachi._

A rebirth of the youngest grandson of Madara Uchiha, and his brother ITACHI sacrificed himself by mummifying himself, and that was all he knew...which meant that it was no coincidence that he was here at this museum, when the very same mummy was missing. Her suspicions began to be on the rise, but she was never one to outright accuse without solid proof.

She wasted no time halting him there and picking up the phone to call Orochimaru from his lab. He _needed_ to listen to this, and when he came, he simply stood against the wall because there was no other place for him.

"It's a pity you can't give information on your side, Sasuke," he said, licking his lips and then looking up at the ceiling as if deep in thought. "We would have had the Uchiha history to transgress the boundaries of six hundred years."

Tsunade looked down at the surface of her desk, avoiding even looking at the remaining sticks of her green tea dumplings she'd been enjoying before these three in front of her came in. _No one knows who Sasuke's family was before he was adopted, but in his past life, he was treated cruelly after losing the one that loved him - but his brother was the greatest star in his sky. And here they are again..._

Could life had gotten much stranger than that?

Something inside her brain clicked. She looked Itachi square in the eyes and had to ask him what was on her mind: _were the Uchiha really like any other samurai clan, and was the information we have all there was?_

To all their surprise, he gave it all easily. "Yes, they were. It's all true they were touted for their prowess, were feared as much as your family was. But that's not all: they loved each other very deeply, much more than many gave them credit for. And while it was said in the books that no one knows what became of them in the end, the truth is much darker."

Sakura shifted in her seat, eyes wide like an eager child hungry for more. "What was that?" she asked. Itachi looked straight back at Tsunade with his answer.

What he said made her fight back turning into a flood in her own chair, but the impact must have been worse on both Sasuke and Sakura who had no words to explain.

"The orchestrator was the Shimura general, ruler of the village. He hired us Uchiha to pit against the Senju. I was a warrior at a young age, having seen relatives and friends die before my eyes, when I never should have. I even killed a man out of defense for the first time when I was only four years old; it was something that I never wanted for my brother, so that was why I stood before both clans - my own and yours, Tsunade. Your great-great-grandfather and Madara witnessed, and it amused them to see a twelve-year-old boy being the peacekeeper...but I was naïve and foolish. I thought I'd seen it all when the old men couldn't do it themselves. I never saw it coming until it was too late that the shogun wanted to end it his way, no matter what it took or how it looked."

"I don't savor where this is going," Orochimaru murmured, shaking his head.

"The Uchiha even planned to break free, but Shimura wanted it done when the curtains were drawn and the skies black. I was the one he thought he could manipulate because he saw me not like the rest of my people - except I couldn't exterminate them all by myself," Itachi said, his voice monotoned.

The Senju curator didn't like this, at all, but it was an understatement. She was livid to her bones. The Uchiha were butchered late one night, not by her own people, but by _Danzo's_. And all because of failed peace negotiations; her great-great-grandfather must have been appalled, if she knew better! _And a twelve-year-old child to be tasked with an abominable mission - but he said he had help._ "Who assisted?" Tsunade demanded, unable to hold it back.

"He had ninjas at his disposal. It happened in an unmarked period of time, ending when the hours were still dark. My brother was spared, but I never saw him when it was all over." He closed his eyes and bowed his head as if remembering the terrible event that transpired next. "I had to kill my own parents while they were asleep."

 _How cruel, being made to murder your own family but spare your brother who ended up in a fate worse than death._

Itachi concluded the bone-chilling, bloodcurdling tale with this: "The shogun told me if I didn't want to be revealed to the world - as a price to be paid while the bodies of my clan were disposed of - then I had no choice but to take a path that would lead me to the heavens...and you know what that means."

Their worlds shook then and there even though they knew what it was leading to: Itachi was the - no, a reincarnate _of_ the missing mummy Dan gave his life to find. And here he and his brother were, reunited in this age.

On Tsunade's mind was the memory of the preserved tears on the mummy's face, pointing to theories that he thought of someone he loved, a minute before he died, and here it was presented from the mouth of the one who had just exposed the dark truth about a lost civilization.

His last thoughts before his _murder - death by suffocation and sake; Orochimaru was right -_ were of his brother whom he would never see again, who he gave his life for.

If only she could say the mystery was over, but it never was tied at the ends. There was another man who had his side of the story, and it was the one they all hated most in the world, the one who descended from the family of Itachi's murderer: the rat snake currently in police custody and suspected of the robbery at HER museum.

Tsunade gritted her teeth. _If Danzo's ancestor used Itachi, then killed him himself, then_ he _is responsible today as back then. Some things in the family never learn from their mistakes._

~o~

"N-Naruto."

His fiancée could only look at him in shock when he was done speaking and said his name. Stunned because she had no idea what else to say. Opalescent eyes were wide with inconsolable shock before it morphed back into something akin to critique. "But this is - this just too frightening to be real!"

"I know!" he said, throwing his hands into the air. They were supposed to be looking over the random pieces that had been brought in from a competitor, having once been old pottery vases from the Edo era, when he decided now or never to tell her that he'd looked at the photographs of the Uchiha Warrior mummy and finally saw the resemblance to _Itachi,_ their new coworker and friend.

Sasuke's long-lost brother.

Sakura's _roommate_ and _new boyfriend._ Except they never made it official, making him wonder now if they ever would. "Look, I know how crazy it sounds, and I only noticed that day old man Danzo was arrested. I've been meaning to look at the seal since it never occurred before, to see if _anything_ would make sense, but damn it, Hinata, I know I am not imagining it."

"And better not say a word because they'll say you're crazy," she agreed, still as pale as a ghost. "Naruto, what do you think might come out of this if you're right and Itachi...is the mummy?"

He sighed sharply, scratching the back of his neck which never gave him any answers. "I don't know. I mean, this solidifies that Sakura is in trouble, but...I don't think he would have meant any harm. I've seen how they looked at each other, and that is enough to say how much he cares about her - just like I care about you, babe," he purred, leaning over and pecking her cheek. She giggled a couple times. Then it was back to being serious. "But bottom line: Itachi hasn't been any trouble, though he still gave us vague details about his past."

Even now, Itachi hadn't divulged more of his backstory while he was at Mt. Yudono...wait, that mummy also came from that place. Was that a coincidence or what?

Hinata looked down at the untouched pieces of ceramic. "You're right. But we both know that's his choice to tell us at the end of the day...oh, dear." Her eyes widened with realization. "Naruto, I just had a thought. Why don't we go talk to...?"

Not Granny, but Pervy Snake. She was right; if anyone could help them without assuming they were crazy, it would be him. Now would be a good time to ask him and then set a time to plan without getting suspicious eyes on them - especially Itachi.

Now that also meant talking to Dad and getting the facts on the cases, then compare what was known to whatever was on this cursed piece of ancient paper, since there was definitely writing on the other side of the Buddha's mantra. See if reality had really become so blurred with reverie.

~o~

When the day was over and they were at their apartment, Sakura was on the phone with Naruto's father, the chief of police. It regarded the subject of her missing mother, without a personal visit. _There is a chance he will come eventually. After all, I was there with her..._

It wouldn't be long before they would get into the house and search, find the body when all dead ends were met. They would comb every inch of Mebuki's home until they discovered her remains in the trunk. It also meant they would find HIS fingerprints, but they didn't have him in the database.

However, little did he know that would change.

"There is still no sign of her," Sakura told him when the call was over. "Car was found, house still locked, but no sign of her. Not even a hint as to where she went. I told him that we both saw her on the day of the funeral and the day before that which was when we arrived, but the next morning, she left that note. Plus, you and I went out that night while she took her sleeping pill, so she didn't hear us come back."

"What has the chief said?" Itachi asked, closing her laptop after pulling up the subject of DNA and fingerprints.

She shrugged and went into the kitchen for the vegetarian dish she was making them. "Confirmed it was her handwriting, so no sign of foul play, but they still don't know for sure. Could be that she was stopped by someone, or stopped herself, and ended up kidnapped?" She wouldn't stop the questions, and he loathed seeing her like this, knowing who was to blame.

Itachi stood up, deciding to do something for her, to take her mind off these things. "Listen, I'm going out to get us a bottle of sake, without getting us prone to a hangover in the morning," he told her, going over to kiss her forehead. "I know how random this is, but this is what I can do to make you calmer about this."

Sakura's eyes sparkled, agreeing easily to this.

A quick run down to the nearby liquor store when the sun was still shining, going down into jewel tones, wasn't a trouble, but he faced it as soon as he found himself in front of a familiar face. His back was against Sakura's car which she let him borrow. "You came. I knew you would."

Fuu Yamanaka...that was his name. A possible relative of Sakura's friend who died years ago. Still in his shroud and attempting to be menacing, choosing this public parking lot of all places to pull off his newest assassination attempt. "Ready to die, I see," the auburn-head answered. He hadn't yet unsheathed his blade, but Itachi was prepared. Right now would be words to exchange, because he himself had plenty to say.

"No."

"Why did I even ask that question? You're already dead - for _six hundred_ years. But here you are, walking free and hidden in plain sight. It disgusts not only me, but my master."

Itachi leaned down to set the bottle of sake, wrapped up in its plastic bag, down on the ground beside him, keeping his eye on the other. "Your master whose ancestor took everything from me," he seethed, clenching his fists. "I was forced to kill my parents, abandoned my brother, and even _still_ , he wanted more - your pathetic, weak master, wanted my life, so he took it."

There was a curling of the lips, followed by the shining reveal of the _tantō_ , as well as: "Lord Danzo is not deserving of such disrespect. Especially not by walking dead maggots like you," he spat, setting the Uchiha's temper off with a fiery vengeance beneath his cool exterior.

"Nor is he deserving of another victory, depriving me of happiness. Not only have I found my brother...but I'm in love."

That short sword tilted in its owner's grasp as a sign of utter loathing. "You truly think this newfound joy will last," Fuu said, "with _what_ you are - and what you do to innocent men and women so that you may live?"

The question struck Itachi home.

 _You're right. I do what I have to so I can live in this time...but only_ one _was innocent; it wasn't my fault. The rest had what was coming to them. Just as you are soon going to have it._ "Then come and do what your master is too cowardly to do himself," he challenged, and that provoked the response. His antagonist took a few slow, deliberate steps closer. "Come so I can do more than place my foot on your neck this time..."

The auburn-head lunged at him now, and Itachi struck with his eyes bleeding red, tomoe swirling into the pinwheel; he pulled the man into the worst form of paralyzing torture than he would have imagined beyond his years. The _tantō_ fell from his grip, clattering loudly.

"Feel the agony of hundreds of your own blade piercing all your vital points, but not killing you. Forty-eight hours, but only an instant in this world..."

Itachi's voice was haunting to his own ears. When it was all over, Fuu fell to his knees, but found himself on the hood of Sakura's wagon, looking back up at the one he attempted to kill a second and final time - but here he was looking up at the face one last time as Itachi loomed over him. A hand latched behind the reddish brown head, keeping it firmly in place and making him wince at the pressure in his scalp. "This is _my_ choice to make," Itachi hissed. "My right to happiness which was denied, and no one decides for me. Not you, not Danzo...and not even the gods."

He'd said the most blasphemous thing for the first time in both of his lives; no regrets which made his muscles and heart twist with pain.

Fuu barely had time to scream before Itachi's lips came to rest on his, softly but powerfully taking every living cell from his body into the other's, once again leaving behind a dried up husk with depthless black eyes, a mouth wide opened in a silent scream, and clumped, unkempt hair.

The raven stepped back by a few inches but kept the corpse in its place. He found himself looking at his new watch and swallowed as he realized how late he was going to be if he didn't get back to Sakura. _She must be wondering what's keeping me._

So he went back to the apartment, after dropping the mummy off in a nearby dumpster - making sure no one was looking, sensing no one with his eyes - and with the sake bottle intact.

~o~

Minato let her know there was still nothing on her mother but swore they were still looking, and they also had their hands full as it was, counting Danzo who was still in custody. It seemed they would keep him in until they were satisfied with answers. It also wasn't like he didn't have a record as long as his own arm was.

Itachi wanted to cheer her up, or at least make her feel a little better for the while, but it wasn't going to yet be what they made a routine of doing at the end of each day of hard work, ever since coming back from visiting her mother. He'd gone out to get sake from the liquor store, and it'd been half an hour; she was finishing stirring the rice and had chopped up the vegetables to go on the skillet when she heard the door open. Itachi came back safely and with the bottle.

It felt so good to have him in her life in many forms: a roommate, a friend...and an amazing lover. Being there when she needed him, just as she'd been there for him when he came home to find his brother who was also happy to have met him at last.

 **Well, Naruto finally starts his detective work, and Itachi just finished off his assassin, but the one behind it all has to go...though does it take much to say Fuu might be right? :S**

 **The exchange between Itachi and Fuu, in terms of how long he'd been dead as well as what he does to people so he could survive - before killing the one sent to do the job on him - was from the scene in the "Inca Mummy Girl" episode, in Ampata and her bodyguard whom she drained the life from afterwards.**

 **Review please.**


	22. The Dance: Part One

**Not long now. :D We've finally reached a moment I was so excited to get to from the beginning. I'd also listened to Garth Brooks' song The Dance to have inspiration for the title and in the chapter, progressing into the next.**

Chapter Twenty-Two

The Dance: Part One

 _"Ah, you two have come at a good time. I have plenty to tell you both based on a very interesting story from Itachi and his brother."_ Orochimaru's face had been alight, but troubled because of whatever the brothers said. That was Naruto's cue to speak before anything else.

 _"Yeah, because you'll never believe what_ I _came across. Something Granny might not believe, or anyone else. I wanted to look at the broken seal of our missing man, to try and see if anything could -"_

Naruto wasn't sure then if he'd intentionally ended his sentence there because he wasn't thinking straight, or if the snake-like man interrupted him as if knowing what was going to be spoken next. _"I've been looking at it, in fact, dear Naruto. Why don't you both have a seat? We have so much to discuss before we even think about bringing it to Tsunade's attention."_

It was then and there that all hope wasn't lost after all. He wasn't afraid to jinx it. And so he and Hinata sat down, surprised to see _the seal_ on his lab table soon after he'd left Granny Tsunade's office. It was there that he related the entire story told by both Itachi and Sasuke.

Itachi was the reincarnate of the missing mummy, because everything he said could NOT be a coincidence since he told them everything that was missing in the records...especially when he played a part in the attempted and failed peace talks, finally with being the one to kill his own parents - while _Shimura_ ninja did the rest, except no one knew what became of Madara Uchiha, the boys' grandfather - and agreed to the _sokushinbutsu_ process in exchange for his brother's life. _But Sasuke went the rest of his life never knowing what really happened...and he killed himself so he could be with his brother._

 _And now in this new life, he hears it all. He reunited with his older brother he loved so much._

Naruto was livid more than he could remember being in his life. Itachi _Uchiha_ took his own life, then was smothered to death before it was complete, all because of his younger brother's life. Because his clan was discriminated and executed; Tsunade's had nothing to do with it but another, and it was linked too deeply to the man who had just been released from his father's custody, placed under house arrest. There was proven paperwork on the dealing and hiring of Kyou Ito, but no mummy sold to anyone or even in old man Danzo's custody.

However...now that they were reading over and examining the seal, he had a grave suspicion that this _was too coincidental_. The Uchiha mummy going missing one night, then BOOM: the next day, Itachi comes into their lives, with a vague background and with the intention of finding his brother, who was none other than Sasuke.

"According to mythology, when someone used the Eight Pronged Seal, it was the most powerful to keep something inside - like a demon or even a _life-force._ A soul that was trapped between this world and the next," Hinata explained as she ran her magnifying glass to the tiniest "flame" besides the largest parts of the seal surrounding the kanji for the text: **南無阿弥陀仏**.

"I still say that magic business is just in the stories we grew up with." Though he doubted his own words this time. The sweat threatened to break out through his skin. "It just makes my skin crawl..."

Orochimaru chuckled, carefully turning the ancient parchment over when Hinata was done. "Oh, there will be more than crawling skin, I'm sure of it, when we're done with this -" He halted there when he saw the faded but plainly visible writing that neither of them would ever have seen years ago, but how could anyone remove it without tearing off an edge like that bandit did that night?

"Dear Kami, listen to this, you two: _Meimei sa reru koto no nai mono wa, eien no inochi no tame ni daika ga shiharawa reru yō ni, kono sekai to tsugi no sekai to no ma o ayumi, tanin no enerugī dake o sasaemasu. Kare wa jibun no kokoro o han'ei suru kami no idaina-ryoku o tazusaemasu._ " When he finished, he looked at them with a grim eye.

He and his fiancée froze, slowly turning to share a look at each other as the translation absorbed their minds and possibly their rational psyches: _He who shall not be named will walk between this world and the next, sustaining only on the energy of another as the price be paid for life everlasting. He shall carry the great power of the gods which reflect his own heart._

It meant that the mummy was trapped between life and death, so if this script meant what it said it did, then breaking it set him loose. Naruto couldn't believe what the hell all of this was; reality and fiction in one! But at the back of his mind was none other than the fact he knew it was the truth no matter if he tried denying it.

"I've had some musings of my own as I listened to his story," Orochimaru said, chewing on his bottom lip in thought. "This is starting to come together whether it is science or not."

"And I thought I was dreaming!" Naruto said, frustrated. "How could we find ourselves in something so irrational, Pervy Snake?"

He received a slight frown, seen only in the brows, while the smile remained. "I honestly wish you wouldn't call me that, Naruto. But in answer to your question, yes, we are scientific. Although this is all clearly presented in front of us when there are no other options. We must accept it whether we want to or not, for all our sakes. Itachi's story and the mummy can't be coincidental, which is a fine line to walk." He hummed.

"Naruto, Hinata, we might have our work cut out for us, but we can't ruin everything before the debut of his grandfather's possessions."

For a moment, he was dismayed by the delay, but it also made sense: they needed more time to try and prove this, but before the premiere which was when Itachi would be taking Sakura would be unwise, since those two were obviously serious. That scared him more than anything. Her mother being missing shortly after her daughter and Itachi left was guaranteed to be added to the list now, but that job was up to his dad and the rest of the department.

Now based on what was in the inscription, with the mummy being capable of sucking the life-force out, it meant leaving behind a husk like him - _just like Ito._

What if _Sakura_ ended up being next?

~o~

Wearing a fancy dress and jewelry wasn't her cup of tea on a daily basis; she could be comfortable with just her family's crest around her neck, beneath it that crystal her grandfather found himself on one expedition in his younger years. But on the premiere night, she would join it with the earrings and bracelet that Orochimaru was so nice to give her last year for her birthday.

Amber, for her, was precious today as it was millions of years ago. Back in those days were simpler matters than today; it wasn't a surprise humanity didn't really evolve any better now than then. _At our cores are still barbarians, all doing what we have to in order to survive, and we won't always please everyone._ And in terms of this precious mineral which would adorn her ears and wrist, those were the days when man and woman walked the beach and actually found this source of romance which preserved everything. Although today, everyone had it easy in terms of purchase whereas the primitives would go along the coast and dive into the cold-ass waters for this treasure.

Also, in those days: survival first, romance second. And this was back when men were the real providers, with few living today.

Here she was tonight, a week later, and it had come. She was so excited she felt like a teenager again. She fastened the drop-shaped amber framed with silver filigree in her ears and around her right wrist, and pulled her hair half-back in place with a golden barrette shaped like a ring and placed inside with a cluster of pearls. _They are all going to look at me the way they should - including those board members._

The good news was Danzo wouldn't be there, at home under house arrest until further notice. She was pissed because there was no mummy to find in his possession, no lead to who it could have been sold to, but at least Danzo would be nailed as he'd played an immense part. She'd waited a lifetime for something like that to happen.

Finally, here she was in her green dress. It fitted her body in the right places, widely strapped but plunged down the front to show a good amount of her large cleavage, and ended barely at her ankles. Orochimaru was going to want to take her back home early after the show was over, skip the damned dancing and all.

And speak of the devil: the man himself came and looked at her, called her the goddess she was, which was more than she deserved.

~o~

Two sprays - one to her neck and the other to her wrist so she could rub them together. Enough to give off the new perfume she got at the festival, which was light and sweet with different flowers and a touch of spice.

She remembered when she first sprayed it on her skin, he moaned and stated the obvious: he could consume her entirely if he wanted to. And she'd dared to challenge him, resulting in a toppling into bed and going at it like wild rabbits. But remembering the rubber, too. So, no unwanted pregnancy yet.

Sakura was sure she wanted to get married and have a family, but right now was out of the question because despite having a good paying job coupled with school at the same time, it was instability in itself. Itachi said he wanted one, too, but he respected her wishes all the same.

Their relationship had...progressed ever since he and Sasuke revealed their stories simultaneously to her, Tsunade and Orochimaru. But the decision - for now - was to keep quiet, because both brothers didn't deserve a public frenzy. It was for the best they went without being scrutinized by people who thought they were just cashing in, but there was another option, too.

The brothers could always say they recently discovered they were descendants, but that meant some form of solid proof to satisfy those nosy journalists and other regulars.

It all hit Sakura like a tsunami wave devastating everything in its wake, but eventually it would be rebuilt into something new combined with what was left of the old: she'd told _Itachi the mummy reincarnate_ her feelings regarding the missing dead man without knowing she was talking to a living new form directly, speaking of her understanding and unsure how to comprehend the pain of whatever he went through.

All ending with a heavy round, taking it slow in their bed and letting the wildfire last into the early hours of the morning.

In the week to follow, all of them got ready for the premiere which was tonight, which felt like forever had come and gone. She and Hinata spent last weekend picking out new dresses because tonight would be special, and she hadn't had a new evening gown since high school prom and graduation after-party. It was time for a change. And what she chose was something regal and dramatic. Black, fitted her upper body and flared like a tulip around her hips and knees, and had a rich blush-and-gold brocade nature portrait of cherry blossoms and leaves similar to a kimono; paired with were strappy blushing heels studded with pearls. She wore her favorite jewelry as always, but switched her hoops out for something that also blushed: crystal hoops hung below pearly posts.

Not to mention, they felt a little heavier than she was used to, but she wasn't going to get too uncomfortable.

When she saw Itachi, her breath was taken away by how handsome he was in his tux and collared shirt without the tie. He was going to break other women's hearts when they saw he was taken. And a new feature struck her more, making her mouth water and her heart beat: his hair was not in its ponytail, but in a sleek bun behind his head, similar to samurai and nobility of the old days.

"Oh, Sakura, you're far more radiant than any of the flowers of spring and summer, and fresh as the rain."

Him and his poetry! Even a certain someone hadn't used such words to her...

"Oh, Itachi," she countered, moving so close to him their bodies touched, having some time left before they would get into her car to go to the museum, just as the sun was setting in jewel-tones like the richest tapestry. "You're slick and smooth like the most calming of spa rocks." She quickly lowered her eyes, embarrassed that she didn't think of something better, but what was there? That was what he was: serene and refreshing like a zen garden.

 _And just as perfect._

Itachi had cupped her chin with just his forefinger and thumb, bringing her face closer to his. "Sakura Haruno, after all the time I've spent with you, and this is one of the things I adore about you. You blush like the flower you are named for, and you are as strong and clever like the bravest wild cat...and compassionate like any of the goddesses above."

She leaned into him, resting her forehead against his shoulder, his arms coming to wrap around her. Then she broke the moment and said they had to get going if they didn't want to miss the meeting with the others before the opening.

"What will be there?" he'd once asked during the past week. Laughing, she told him.

"Lots of good finger foods, drinks, and music to dance to. Right after the big reveal and the research we conducted."

He'd chuckled. "Sounds like fun. My first public appearance just like that, when back in 'my day' -" She heard the air quotes around his past life's term. "- we just fought for the lot of it, and appeared only through the streets with both swords on our backs."

 _We have it easy compared to then. And he took it so much better than you'd think. He loves this new world more than his own._ And to know he loved his time with her and her friends - and his brother - made her decide that, no matter this being only a month of knowing him, she wanted him to be the one to enjoy the rest of her life with. There were still so many roads ahead, and she wanted to go down them with him.

When they arrived at the Konoha Museum of Antiquities, there were a LOAD of people in finery who attended, including flashes of camera - and the attention was on them when they stepped out of their car. This would go on television, the social media, and in magazines everywhere.

Safely inside after getting away from the herd - Itachi doing the job of ushering her in before him - they were greeted by Naruto and Hinata. "Man, those damned cameras just can't get enough!" he said, totally pissed off, then changed to a grin in a flash. "But the night came, right, Hinata?"

"Yeah, it has," she answered brightly. She was sweet and demure in her light blue chiffon dress, the skirt airy and billowing around her legs, and the sleeves tight around her wrists. Her hair was in a soft bun, accented with clusters of crystals, and they also hung from her ears in single drops. "You both look amazing." Her cheeks were pink when she looked at Itachi, quickly shifting her eyes back to her fiancé who gazed at him with mock-jealousy sans malice.

"So do you two," Itachi answered with a short bow of the head forward. "Should we head inside and get everything moving?"

By moving, he meant grouping with the staff so they could take one more gaze at their new exhibit before it would become the newest sensation to the world.

Little did any of them realize that this night would have more horrors that would never make things the same again.

 **When the writing BEHIND the seal was mentioned, the "he who shall not be named" segment was inspired by the reveal of the inscription on Imhotep's sarcophagus in the 1999 Mummy film.**

 **南無阿弥陀仏** **\- Namu Amida Butsu (the mantra).**

 **In terms of amber in prehistoric times, humanity really has gotten no better today except under societal pressure to spend money to impress.**

 **Still no reviews in a long time. :'( And we are nearing the end of all times.**


	23. The Dance: Part Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

The Dance: Part Two

"To this day, no one knows what became of the Uchiha samurai, but here we have yet another miraculous find by happy chance," Tsunade said into the microphone at the podium, the light on her. "Madara Uchiha - the last leader, his ashes within the urn, accompanied by his preserved armor and weapons. He and my great-great-grandfather - whom my grandfather who built this museum was named for - attempted to resolve their clans' differences peacefully, but then out of the blue, the entire Uchiha were wiped out. Until twelve years ago when we found the first mummy of a young man who was then robbed from us weeks ago -" She said this with a bitter undertone. "- and it's possible we may never get him back, but here we have this find that measures to that standard he did."

Years ago, when said mummy who was none other than Itachi, was discovered by Tsunade's previous lover and brought back by her and her team, she'd made the speech for the first long-lost Uchiha put on display, said he was going to be under her care because of how special he was.

The woman still didn't know, but her mummy was among her staff, right beside the beautiful rosette who made his life all the more worth living, and looking up at her with swelling admiration in his core because even in life-and-death, he was revered when he didn't deserve it.

 _She won't reveal my story because it would mean constant scrutiny. She won't let it be on Sasuke either._ He was more than content to live with that, and if he knew his brother, Sasuke would agree.

He didn't yet see his younger sibling, but if he were here, did he come alone or with a date? As far as Itachi knew, there were no potential new girls for his arm at the moment. It made him think that perhaps Sasuke thought he wasn't deserving of this kind of love anymore, based on what the elder Uchiha recalled: _"Will you take care of Sakura for me, brother? Make her happy when I couldn't. You sacrificed everything for me, so I'll do this for you - and I've done enough to her."_

Words couldn't even describe how he felt towards his brother, the love and devotion that had lasted through the ages. Sasuke was being selfless and atoning, but did he have to deny himself happiness like this?

Itachi saw him then, and as expected, he was indeed alone, but he was smiling. He didn't even look over his way - but he spoke too soon, for Sasuke shifted his eyes to lock with Itachi's, then over to Sakura, appreciating what he was seeing but not in a way that the elder Uchiha would worry about.

He watched around him as there were mostly faces rapt with dramatic appraisal, many reporters writing out the words of the curator as well as the information which was known for the longest time. He could understand why people couldn't stand them at times, but he also understood the world had to know how events would go if they wanted to keep in touch. When in his day, things got out from word of mouth and was seldom on parchment.

The crowd was eventually dispersed for the food and dancing that would follow. Itachi found himself eyeing mostly the sweets table rather than the scrumptious seafood and grilled meats; noticing this, Sakura giggled and led him over to it, offering him his favorite tri-colored dango, then picked one up herself.

He sensed Sasuke still watching them, but didn't look up. _Just let him watch._

He and his rose-haired treasure eventually found themselves on the dancefloor with everyone else, swaying to the piano and violins. The song was something from the heavens, prophesizing every step in his life as of late, seeking that which he loved most - as well as a new one he never knew before his life was taken from him.

She was his world, his everything, and she was the air he breathed. She was his soulmate as Sasuke. All three of them tied together by the invisible red thread. The sun and the moon which were opposites that balanced the universe.

 _Oh my dream, reflected in the moonlight_

 _I can only gaze at you_

 _Oh my dream, I tremble in confusion_

 _I am a sinner, so I get lost just looking at your lips_

 _To love is lonely_

 _Don't say sad words_

 _I embark on this journey, seeking for real love_

 _Knowing that it's you at the end_

He couldn't even close his eyes as he drowned in her verdant irises. So full of life and love, fresh and bewitching. Whatever would happen, he would do everything in his power to keep her close, to give her the world, to tell her the three words that sealed their fates.

 _I'm not afraid to admit it, but my heart is all hers._

Itachi gazed upon her sweet, soft lips and was leaning closer and closer to her, desperate to capture them with his, to take her breath away...

 _We come and go under this world_

 _My heart shakes in the wind_

 _If I ever lose you, then there is no eternity_

 _oh my dream_

 _oh my heart_

 _I gently hum_

 _Oh my love I offer you my feelings_

 _I wonder if you have forgotten this melody_

But then, it ended when that strange sensation returned just like it did that horrible night. Horror rose in him that he stiffened, loosening his hold onto her and quickly spotting it just like back then. His hand...it was coarse and tanned, losing its life source. He internally swore damnation to the deepest pits; at this time of all...!

"I'm sorry, Sakura," was all he could say, avoiding her eyes and hurrying away from her. Her disappointment and confusion was something he would have to handle after he dealt with his severe issue.

But _who_ would he find in this place where he was sure it would all end?

It was at that moment, as he was pushing through dancing couples and past groups just talking, that he saw his world falling apart once again. Life was cruel; it was happy one moment, horrible the next, and so on. He fought back the emotions and found his way out of the crowd. He was cursed, to feed on an individual every less than two weeks, at the most unexpected and unwanted of times. This time he felt the effects of deprivation when he was in the middle of dancing with the woman he loved. And he was sure he'd hurt her feelings; she was wondering what had gotten into him.

He paused outside the main hall, behind a polished column and lightly bumped the back of his head against the ridged surface. No matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't fight off the memory of Fuu's words: _how many innocent men and women will you drain just so you can live?_

The man was right, even if they were adversaries. How much longer could this go on? Sooner or later, Sakura would find out, maybe tonight after all. Then it would get out. His time was short.

Unless he could find a place to let himself turn to dust before his friends - including his brother and beloved - found everything out.

~o~

After a hell of a long research and planning time, it all came together without any doubts, especially with the open-minded Pervy Snake to help them.

When he, Orochimaru and Hinata found their time to talk to his dad alone in Minato's office at the police station, it was smothering because he was scared things between him and his father wouldn't be the same. But Minato never not believed him - yet.

 _"Naruto, I know you too well to know you never made up any stories like this, but if anyone else hears this -"_

That was when Orochimaru stepped in, being the real expert and opened up to these possibilities. _"Believe me, this is irrational to comprehend, but I've done the majority of the searching, Minato, and it's all come down to a scientific reason. The seal was broken at the same time the mummy vanished, at the same time the suspect in the burglary was preserved. Can a human being truly do something like that?"_ He'd asked it so confidently with a sparkle in his eyes, but not because he enjoyed all of this.

Minato seemed to buy that, but he was still skeptical, so he asked for more.

 _"Long story short, for the longest time, Sasuke Hyuuga had strange dreams and resulted in leaving behind his cherished friends, until when he returned home and finally started seeking help. Through Kurenai Yui's hypnosis, the result was brought out, but it cannot get out to the world: Sasuke is a reincarnation of the last survivor of the extinct Uchiha samurai. And Itachi is his brother."_

The look on his dad's face was priceless, dawning with how it was making sense, that anything was possible. _"What do you know about Itachi before all this?"_ Minato had wanted to know, which Naruto decided to answer.

 _"Little to nothing, Dad. He vaguely said he was born here, then lived out there in Mt. Yudono, and came here because of Sasuke. That was all, but he was a great guy who turned out to be a new friend...until all of this. Now look at what this seal says; is it a coincidence or what?"_

Minato read the seal with a befuddled expression before looking up at the three of them, inclined to go along with this, but there was a major problem: what could they do to question Itachi without distressing Sakura? And it had to be the next day after tonight, which was the premiere, because why did the night have to be ruined?

Eventually, his dad relented and said that there wasn't a coincidence, based on this information on the ancient paper. Nor could the story - including Danzo and his clan - told from both Itachi and Sasuke be enough to land anyone behind loony bin bars.

When it was all done, his dad exhaled and said without any solid proof, there was going to have to be an elaborate cover-up whether they liked it or not. That also meant protecting Sasuke who had been through enough as it was, going all his life not knowing his real identity, losing his girl, and enduring his pain alone. Now he had his brother in his life again - _his brother who is the_ mummy.

Then Minato announced they also found two more corpses, sooner than this night, which neither Itachi nor Sakura knew about: Fuu Yamanaka, in a dumpster near the pinkette's neighborhood, and her _mother_ in the trunk of her home.

 _Both of them mummified._

By someone who had powers beyond belief, which the world could _not_ break the fourth wall on, and that included feeding on the life source of another human being because he was no longer of the world - but it wasn't like he ASKED to be here, either. Included in the seal was also the "power of the gods which reflected his own heart" - that told of the legendary ocular Sharingan, which descended from the Sage of Six Paths of legend, but there wasn't a lot known other than that. The Sharingan was said to be brought forth if a person writhed in agony over the loss of someone they loved, sent an opponent into an illusionary world of their choosing for pain or pleasure. It also said that the eyes were blood-stained red with black patterns when the prowess was unleashed. Something out of a fairytale, right? _Did he use his eyes to disable his victims before he drained them?_

"This is just horrible," Hinata whispered as they were dancing together that evening, his arms around her, and Itachi and Sakura some feet away. "She's going to be...I don't know. Itachi..."

He nodded numbly. Itachi was their missing mummy - he'd been among them all along, hiding himself so well, and he'd lived off of other people's energies to keep himself alive. There were three they knew of: Kyou Ito, hired by old man Danzo; Fuu Yamanaka who refused to give away who sent him to kill Itachi - though it was suspected now that the old man was also behind it - and Sakura's mother. But they could assume Mebuki Haruno was out of desperation or something like that.

Naruto didn't know what to feel anymore. He'd had his bad feelings in the beginning about that guy, before he let his need for another friend get the best of it. _But I don't even hate him. He really cares about Sakura. He was just a...kid and had his life and his brother taken from him._

"I don't hate him, but what can we do now that we know?" he said to his fiancée. "He's...the mummy." He finished in a quiet tone so no one else overheard.

Hinata followed his gaze and saw the couple deep in the moment to the song playing - which made him think too much of Itachi's journey, ironically - and she smiled with him. If they were going to enjoy this dance, he and his girl would.

 _My dream come true...I'm never going to let you go._ She was the best thing life offered him, his dad loved her, and he was so excited he was tempted to ask her if they could get married sooner than two years, but he'd waited all their lives to ask her that the wait had been worth it. So Dad would say patience was a virtue.

Although, at some point during the dance, he noticed that Sakura and Itachi had vanished. Panicked, his eyes darted around, seeing them nowhere in sight. Hinata noticed his worry and saw the source. "Where could they go?"

~o~

Sakura had no idea what the hell just happened; one minute or so they were dancing and enjoying it, and the next he ditched her in a flash. As if he'd contracted something and didn't want her to get it.

What had made him flip like that?

She excused herself, accidentally bumping into someone occasionally, until she found herself face to face with none other than Sasuke, who was just as handsome as his brother, and baffled at her worry. "My brother?" he questioned.

"Yeah, he ran off," she answered. "I don't know what happened. But have you seen him?"

"I saw him, but I don't know where he is now," Sasuke said, his eyes shifting over her once and then back to her eyes. He didn't say it, but he liked what he was seeing. He then stepped aside for her to continue, quickly turning his gaze from her to look at nothing in particular. That was clear restraint.

Sakura left him, and after a long search, asking around for a "handsome man with long dark hair who was running away", she finally got the answer: he'd gone in the direction of the sanitary hallway. That stunned her; why the hell would Itachi go and hide someplace in a broom closet of all places? Which was exactly where she found him, hidden from the rest of the world. "Itachi...explain to me why you ran off like that," she demanded passionately, bursting from the heart.

He'd discarded his jacket, hung it where the mop and broom were, but his hands were behind himself as he backed against the wall, head lowered and unable to look at her. A long moment passed before he finally spoke.

"I'm sorry...Sakura."

He just repeated the same words he said before he took off like a rabbit. "You're sorry...is that all?"

"No. I just...I was afraid."

Sakura had never been taken so aback in her life as she was now. After all the time they spent together, Itachi was now telling her he was...SCARED? Of what? "Why?" she asked, locking the door behind her to prevent someone from coming in. "What brought this on?"

Now he looked up at her with a deep sadness in his eyes that would have made the most scarred criminal turn into mush. "Because...remember how I told you I was blessed with all the time I've had with you?" _Oh, I see what this is about now._ She nodded, not speaking. "I meant every word," Itachi said hoarsely, his breath almost hot, "but now I don't feel like I deserve you."

Wh-what? He felt like he didn't _deserve her?!_ That was what it was really about? And he told her now of all nights to say it? Shaking her head in disbelief, Sakura crossed over, her heels clicking loudly in three strides, and pressed herself up against him. He stiffened, not moving a muscle, and stretched his neck upwards while still looking down at her.

"Sometimes I am still haunted by my past, how I gave everything up and got nothing in return. I am...scared to lose you like I once lost Sasuke."

Somehow she felt there was more than just that, but she found herself going with it, because he really needed her more than ever. He needed all the reassurance she needed when his brother left her, but different circumstances. "Don't say that anymore, Itachi," she said, nudging her nose against his strong chin. "That was your past life. You can make a new one with me."

Maybe it was because of the fact they were alone in this private space, away from the outside world - their friends wondering where they were, probably - but she suddenly had the urge to have him in this claustrophobic space, as means to comfort him. "I'm not going anywhere," she insisted, leaning up to capture his lips with hers.

The spark which flew turned into a small flame, slowly growing with each heatwave in the kisses to follow.

~o~

She wasn't excited about speeches unlike Grandpa Hashirama ever was, but when it was over, she could use more than one drink since this night was a deserving one. And a dance with Orochimaru like they would in high school whenever he didn't have a date, and it wasn't like she'd had a guy in those days either. They were all scared of her because of her torrid temper.

All those people - invites and reporters alike - watching her made her smile and that all this trouble was once more worthwhile. As did seeing all her employees, a few of the couples who were like her own children. And onward to the best part for the rest of the night.

After her second glass of champagne and stiff congratulations from the board members, except Hiashi who, despite his stern face, expressed more enthusiasm than the rest, she found herself finally approached by Orochimaru. "Oh, handsome," she drawled, not that drunk but getting there, "I was waiting long enough for you. What took you so long?"

Through her lightheadedness, she caught the apprehension in his serpentine eyes and knew something had happened - or was about to. "What now?" Tsunade asked, nearly dropping her glass in agitation, but he caught it for her and set it down, a foot and a half away.

"Tsunade, I really hate to ruin tonight for you, but it's about Itachi. We were all going to wait for tomorrow, but it seems things have changed." He took her gently by the arm, leading her away from the long, delicious table of foods. "We need to go someplace where no one else can listen..."

 **The song is "Oh My Love" by Hideo Ishikawa (Itachi-kun's Japanese VA) in English translation. :3 Such beauty and emotions.**

 **That's not the last of ItaSaku moment. ;D More will come next time soon.**

 **Up next: the showdown and endless feels. I always tell people what to have at ready of they're nearby, so if you must...**


	24. The Dust in the Wind

**Good God, felt like an eternity since I last updated.**

 **As if what we know about Itachi isn't tear-jerking and heartbreaking enough. Yeah, you must have guessed it: I recently FINALLY saw Itachi Shinden as part of the new set of the newly released English dub of Shippuden. :'D Worth the wait as always, but this time was different because it was HUBBY-KUN, and it's gonna play into what I am doing with this next to final chapter.**

 **You heard that right: the end is here, right after this. :D**

 **I already have the completed "The Ronin and the Emperor's Daughter". :D As well as the second story in my Konoha Kaidan Trilogy, "The Pink Hair" which is also finished just now.**

 **After finishing Itachi's arc, it was back to the war, and the learning of a terrible surprise thanks to the douche (understatement) of Black Zetsu: for all the people trapped in the Infinite Dreams, after their chakra was siphoned, would slowly become White Zetsus. (demon rage like the first time I saw hubby and the other Akatsuki summoned by Kabuto, maybe greater now since what Kabuto did seems tame in comparison).**

 **I named the chapter after the song by Sarah Brightman of the name, might have used elements of the lyrics in here. At the conclusion is imagery based off of "The Black Hair" (first segment of the 1964 Japanese anthology, Kwaidan).**

Chapter Twenty-Four

The Dust in the Wind

He'd thought she would never find him here, yet she did. And he thought that he would be dust before then, but she found him, and everything changed. He discarded his jacket because he felt like he was suffocating. It was taking so long for him to decay all the way, when the feeling was only in his hands, stretching slowly to his arms.

He'd known she would have found him sooner or later. But he didn't think it would end like this, and thus the tides turned. It meant that he had to at least owe her some form of the truth, seeing the pained desperation, the passion. It stirred his own when he saw the form of affection they shared in her eyes as she came closer to him in a few strides despite her heels. He said he was scared, and he meant it.

"Why? What brought this on?"

"Because...remember how I told you I was blessed with all the time I've had with you?" Her nod prompted him to continue. "I meant every word, but now I don't feel like I deserve you." His throat hurt from saying the words. "Sometimes I am still haunted by my past, how I gave everything up and got nothing in return. I am...scared to lose you like I once lost Sasuke."

What was worse a thousandfold: how could she even touch him, her body against his, when it was HE who killed her mother? How could he accept her when he didn't deserve her, no matter the justification being that it was desperation and that mother and daughter never would have reconciled anyway? The woman had been innocent, unlike the ones before her and the one after her. That was the bomb that was dropped, whether he was aware or not.

Sakura wouldn't let it go just like that. Her nose against his tense jaw kindled the flames as she breathed that part of his life was over, that he could live this new one with her, their friends and Sasuke, but his mind and soul disagreed altogether no matter his hard attempts to fight it off. She swore she wouldn't go away as she did the damning thing of laying her lips on his. He stiffened at the contact, fighting to resist, but eventually his body overcame his rational thinking.

He surrendered to the sweet fire that was Sakura. Whom he loved but was tainting with his sins.

He couldn't let her touch his hands, nor could he touch her skin directly, so he had to be quick but also careful so as to not hurt her feelings. If he would turn to dust, he wanted to die a happy man - as close as it could be. Love was such a powerful emotion, physically, mentally and emotionally. It corrupted both positively and negatively. It consumed until there was nothing left in its wake, but before that, it made you whole as a circle without an ending.

Itachi took her by the waist and spun her around so her back was in his place against the wall. She gasped out in surprise as she'd not expected that; her exclamation was silenced when his mouth laid itself once more on hers. He ravaged her, possessed her with everything he had, moving from her soft lips and hot, moist cavern to where her exposed neck and shoulder met, where the jugular throbbed with evident arousal. His own swirled and clenched like a piece of meat that had been out in the air too long. But he was NOT going to do with it what he had always done, not only because there was no protective rubber which was due to the fact it never occurred to them earlier that they would end up this way - and in a broom closet of all places.

Her moans of his name caused him to relieve his aching flesh between his legs, undoing the button and zipper, sighing when he was free for the air. The head was still moist with his semen, spreading across the head like moisturizer, sensitizing his lower body. He swallowed his groans, but the vibrations reached her skin and the nerves beneath.

"Oh, Kami, Itachi!"

He pulled back in time to see her breasts before his eyes; she'd pulled down the top of her dress for them to spring to freedom. He licked his lips and leaned down to lick the tops, between the valley, then swirled his tongue around each erect, strawberry-colored nipple. Her squeaks were that of a mouse running with excitement and thrilled of being chased by prey. Her hands came up, grasping onto the back of his neck and shoulders, her fingers finding his nerve points which made those parts of his muscles throb with delight, to soothe and to entice. Itachi finished his job on her breasts and moved down, going right for where she was weeping for him -

\- and to his surprise, she wasn't wearing any underwear. "Sakura Haruno, that's very naughty," he chided, though he liked what he was seeing. The thin pink triangle was glittering subtly. He brought his face there, nose tickled by the curls, and licked her sweetness which gathered on the hypersensitive bud he gently sucked on. She yelped and threw her head back, her hips swaying as she begged for more. Her hands went to his scalp, threatening to pull his hair from its bun.

"More, more!" she moaned, eyes closed in rapture as he drowned in her taste and scent.

He swallowed everything down when she finally came; the entire time he was doing so, he reached down and stroked himself, growling when he exploded right onto the floor beneath her, safely not touching her anywhere on her bared legs. He released her, the skirt falling back over that place, and she was covering her breasts again. Her skin was flushed as if she'd been in the sun, making him tiredly smile before he let it fade.

She threw herself onto him, arms around his torso for dear life. She had loved what he did to her as much as he had; this embrace was a plea to never leave her, and he almost...

His thoughts were broken off when the alarm bells went off, telling him that he had an important mission where the lives of the woman he loved, his brother and friends all depended on it - and he played a major role in all of this. He wanted to protect them all, but existing and letting the body count for his life source rise wasn't going to occur any longer.

That left one man to deal with for all of their sakes, as he promised Sasuke.

~o~

There was no one who had seen where Itachi went, or Sakura, and that was beyond odd - although a few people saw those matching Naruto's descriptions, only to say they didn't know where they were now. He growled through his teeth in frustration as he went back to find his woman who was half out of breath but regained it.

"No sign of them?" Hinata asked, disappointed at his shake of the head.

Naruto clenched his teeth. "Not at all. Although folks saw them but don't know where now." It was then that another voice entered their presence, and they should have expected the person.

"No Sakura or Itachi, you two?" Tsunade asked with a hard expression that made Naruto gulp. "Orochimaru was just telling me a very disbelieving story I am inclined to agree with, even if I don't want to."

Hinata nodded, eyes wide like softballs. "But Sakura doesn't know, and we have to find her! Assuming Itachi led her away..."

She didn't get to finish before Orochimaru held up his hand. "Now, let's go outside to talk more about this, except we don't have a lot of time." And that was what they just did, all four of them around the corner and behind a column. "Apparently, perhaps we should have taken this matter of eternal life seriously. We are all scientific, rational human beings, so there is no denying this any longer than it has been. We know that the Eight Pronged Seal contained the mummy until Kyou Ito broke it and _freed_ him. Itachi without a name - Sasuke's brother we have accepted based on their accounts - is Itachi _Uchiha_ , and he's been under our noses all this time."

Tsunade hissed through her teeth, looking off to the side. "I should have guessed. You all remembered how he looked at the photographs and the artifacts. But I thought nothing about it," she said bitterly.

"Remember I said that the mummy couldn't have just gotten up and walked out of here?" Naruto asked them all, no longer finding that old joke funny. "Now that we know, we have to find Sakura before she gets...smoochie with Mr. Mummy if she hasn't already." He shuddered at just thinking about his best friend doing things that made his stomach roll and would haunt his dreams for a long time. His sanity might as well have been botched if not one more night enough.

None of them noticed that Sasuke had heard every word, was looking for Sakura himself, and then slipped away to seek her out himself.

~o~

He was looking for Sakura and his brother when he sensed something was wrong, and he never let a bad feeling go even if it was just speculation.

Sasuke received the invitation, but of course he had no date. Seeing his friends like that, admiring how happy Naruto was with his lovely Hinata - "That's a knockout without trying too hard," Neji stated with a smirk - but then there was Itachi and Sakura. He resisted the urge to admit she was as beautiful as ever, because of the tug of the cords in his throat, going down to his heart, because she chose his brother, and Sasuke had no right to even think about the good times with her. He tried not to look too much in their direction, fearing it would turn into something unhealthy and life-threatening.

He listened to Tsunade's speech, but then he found himself having something akin to another strange feeling he couldn't place. It wasn't just like the one he had after he would wake in the mornings following the dreams of his past life. He hid it all with a smile as he looked over at his attractive brother with his ex-girlfriend and best friend, especially when the curator mentioned the mummy that went missing - _around the same time Itachi arrived._

Was everything a coincidence?

 _Or maybe not..._

Itachi looked his way, and the connection was there. Or was he thinking too hard about this, was just letting the old memories get to him just like his ignorance once had? Sasuke had tuned out the rest of what Tsunade said, his brain on overdrive as it thought of numerous crazy theories. He had no idea why, without solid proof, but what if Itachi, his brother whom he never knew all his life - what if he wasn't WHAT he said he was, and he didn't refer to the fact they were blood-related, when it was obvious?

What if he had something to do with the missing _Uchiha_ mummy he was reincarnated from?

Sakura and Itachi missing, but before that was when she asked him if he'd seen his brother to which he answered no; now he found himself listening in on Naruto, Hinata and their superiors - and what they said, he could NOT believe it, but his spinning brain had paused only to start in another direction. It wasn't long before his entire body blew with chaos.

He wasn't sure if he could disbelieve this at the moment. But as soon as this information was absorbed - _my dead brother trapped as a corpse for six centuries, then is released by a burglar, and now he's been living like he's one of us and got with my ex-girlfriend_ \- he decided he was going to get the hell out of here and find Sakura himself. He didn't care if she would believe him or not; she was going to hear him out if he had to drag her to their friends.

That also meant, based on what he heard about Itachi's list of victims just to keep himself alive, he could be looking for another, but Sasuke had no idea how long it would be in between - although he calculated based on what Naruto filled him in on, and it'd be not even two weeks each. He found himself remembering a certain old man whose ancestor murdered his beloved brother six hundred years ago...

 _He must go after him, he said. But what if...?_

After turning a corner or two, Sasuke eventually found her in a state of slight disarray: her hair was fuzzed a little, cheeks pink as if - he stopped his train of thought there, sickened beyond words. "Sakura!"

"Sasuke!" She looked back up at him with surprise, having not expected him to find her like this. She was backed against the wall, knees slightly bent, and right next to none other than the broom closet. "Itachi was here, but then he took off," she panted, standing straight only to nearly fall off her heels, and he quickly caught her, helping her stand up straight.

"Sakura, we both have to find him before the others do. You'll never believe what I heard from them, but they haven't seen me."

She was rushing down the hallway with him, as fast as her shoes could carry her. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying," he said through his teeth, "that Itachi isn't what he said he was. Naruto, your superiors and Hinata already figured it out. He's my brother, but he isn't a reincarnate. He IS the mummy - and he's going after old man Danzo now."

~o~

"I knew you would come to me eventually...Itachi."

"You knew it would be tonight then...Danzo?" he returned as he towered over the man in his flat - and gazed at the house arrest bracelet strapped around the old fool's ankle. He came all the way out here after getting the information from one of Minato's cops - _means necessary and further damning myself, but it's not like I'm not already_ \- under his eyes, without causing real harm and putting him to sleep afterwards. He would recover in a few minutes if not more.

He was greeted outside the apartment entrance by a tall, lean man in black, black hair short and spiked, but his entire face save for a small portion of his nose was covered by a black mask, glasses built into it - to give him the appearance of a ninja. He reminded Itachi too much of the warriors who butchered his clan from the shadows while he was forced to take care of his own parents...

By then, everyone would be looking for him, and he was sure they would find him here in the event of time; this was where he wanted to be and finish the stage of fading into his dead state for good. Then he would go to the netherworld to see the family. "No," Danzo answered, leaning back against the lounge, glass of alcohol in hand. "But I supposed it would come sooner or later, when you had reached your limit and came to your senses. Now you realize that you can't live like this forever. You were damned from the moment you awoke in that museum laboratory."

"I was _damned_ ," Itachi seethed, "because of your ancestor. You're no different than him, and you're no better than I am."

"Yes, because you couldn't even kill your innocent little brother when my ancestor's agents in the shadows completed the job, and you only had to finish off your parents - a painful task, I understand correctly." The old fool was incredibly lucky the Uchiha had himself controlled for now despite his strings being tugged. "I know more than you and your worthless mortal friends can comprehend - everything the Shimura clan kept within each other far better than modern society ever would. Your grandfather, for one, since his ashes are for the world to see as you once were."

He was going to taunt him about Madara, but he heard enough. Even though he did want to know what became of the old man, he decided he wanted nothing but peace in the end. His brother was going to be a broken man because he lost the brother he spent his whole life trying to find - in this life and the one before - and that meant Sakura would have her heart broken once again. He squeezed his eyes shut; he wasn't going to regret the times he spent with either of them and their friends. He was happy as they were...

...but why did it have to end like this?

"Oh...I see I have stricken a nerve," Danzo noted unpleasantly. "What do you wish to do in order to ease your conscience? To ease the burden of the lives you took: two of my best, including...your lover's _mother_?"

At the mention of Mebuki, Itachi opened his eyes again. "Nothing. If you imply I should kill you, I promise you that it won't do either of us any good," he replied. Single eye narrowed as if not convinced enough, which made him continue. "Even if I did kill you like the others, I'd be spending that borrowed time in a cell, away from those I love." He swallowed. "No, death is too good for you; it's a mercy. It's better to see you suffer for the horrors you and your ancestor committed, in this life and in the last."

"What will you gain out of this, Itachi? Your time is ending either way. I have won." That single eye fell to the sanded hands which clenched into fists at his sides, and then back to his face.

Now Itachi turned to look at his own face in the mirror that was on the wall far from them by five feet - and there his reflection was. His skin was dried, olive-brown, but his eyes were still normal black amid white. Subconsciously and without reason, Itachi reached for the pins that held his hair in place and let the raven locks fall free, showing that they were no longer soft and loose, but drying out as if from a hairspray disaster.

And his nemesis was still getting amusement out of his suffering, but this was minor: "I'm going to enjoy the sight of you crumbling into dust, which is what you deserve -"

He didn't get to finish speaking, for he stood no chance against the Sharingan. The glass shattered into pieces and amber liquid. Itachi smirked down at the stricken form as he experienced nothing but claustrophobia, entrapped in a coffin underwater which would eventually freeze and take him with it; he was feeling what HE felt when he was smothered and then picked up to be placed into that coffin...

Itachi's ears picked up the noise outside, telling him he finally had company, and that the paralyzed slime's bodyguard was having the drop on him - and the voices he recognized caused him to freeze.

 _Sakura...Sasuke._

~o~

 _Itachi is the mummy...and he's going after Danzo now._

Sakura's mind was abuzz with crazy madness. He killed some people: the burglar Danzo hired, as well as the one who assaulted him and her at the museum...and _her mother._ Sasuke told her, in his car, that he overheard the others talking about it all, and how Minato was closer but was uneasy with knowing the missing Uchiha mummy was among them all along.

Why didn't she see it before? Why didn't she notice his face when she looked at the mummy's photographs? And how could no one think about the seal? _It's not like we believe in that stuff, but pure science._

She could understand how they were all taking it, but with herself was a different story: _I've been involved with him. I slept with my mother's killer - I let a_ murderer _touch me. Not just being my ex-boyfriend's brother...no, his brother from a PAST life._

Sasuke didn't seem to take this any better than she was, but it was he who did say this: it wasn't Itachi's fault he was here, and it wasn't his fault he was cursed. He was trying to live a life that was taken from him, wanted to reconnect with his brother...and also be in love, which he never had a chance for. He made up for all his lost time, and he never once complained about anything. She tried not to cry; he was so kind, loving - and protective of those he cared about. She remembered that first day, when she told him about the mummy, not knowing she WAS talking to him, and now that she thought of it, he was concealing whatever emotions he had for her compassion.

She still loved him, but that was why it hurt so much. Finding out who and what he really was - _but he killed Mom; she didn't even do anything to him!_ \- made her struggle with her emotions all the more. Why did he have to live like this? She didn't want to blame him for any of this.

"Do you resent him, Sasuke?" she had to ask him on the way. He couldn't close his eyes because they were on the road, so he settled on sighing loudly and shaking his head once.

"No...but I resent Danzo's ancestor for what he did to us and our family. I don't care what Itachi does to him, but I want to see him if this really might be the last time. That's why I decided to bring you with me. You love him, too, but not like me."

"How did you know where the old man lives?"

He shrugged. "He's one of the big ones, and Naruto also told me because he got it from his dad."

And here they were, in a kind of upper-class neighborhood complex, where it happened that Danzo was towards the top of the six-level complex, sleek and white, covered about with trees and greenery. What they were both surprised to see was the black police car - and the officer inside looked like he was in a deep sleep. No responsible officer of the law would EVER be like that. "Itachi did it; I know it," Sakura said as she leaned in to inspect the man, seeing his pulse normal but no signs of waking up anytime soon. There was no way Itachi drugged him with known narcotics, but that meant nothing without further analysis - before she, again, recalled the news about those young men who were found in this state.

"I'm not going to disagree, Sakura, but then that means he got here with this unwilling 'escort'," Sasuke replied, and that was when another voice entered the air.

"Then you both now know who he is."

This guy had to be another one of Danzo's; just how many in hell did he have at his beck and call?! Angrily, Sakura spat at the dude in black, wearing a mask and glasses in one, as if he wasn't allowed to show his face. "Get out of our way so we can go up there!"

Simultaneously, Sasuke's gun as well as the other's _tantō_ \- _perfect, another repeat of history_ \- gave her partner an advantage. Long-range beat short, except she might be underestimating this one. "We don't have time for this. The police are on their way, and you want to be a part of the lockup when they arrive," he said with a mouth that twitched into a smirk as he undid the safety.

"I don't care what happens anymore, but as for that walking bag of bones up there, he's finished either way."

Just then, in a flash, it all happened like this: the masked guy uttered a noise of surprise as he was taken aback from behind, being struck to the back of the head, and he found himself facedown on the ground. There stood Itachi who saved their skins - but his appearance caused them both to gasp in horror, and her heart to break.

 _He looks...just like he did when he was on display. But he still has those eyes._

"Sasuke," he said, voice croaking as his vocal cords were drying and shriveling, "and Sakura."

His brother lowered his gun. He'd been composed before, but now he was shaken up. "B-brother...why did it have to be like this?" She didn't have to repeat to herself what he was referring to. This was the final time they would see him, be with him, and he purposefully let himself drain, but what did he do to the old man?

"Where is Danzo?" Sakura demanded.

Itachi's response was at the same time he pushed his drying hair behind his shoulders. "He's stable, but I put him to sleep so he didn't escape. Just like the officer who brought me to him." He lowered his eyes to the ground as if ashamed. "I brought all of this on you both, so it's fitting I end my life tonight."

"But why?!" Sakura cried, feeling the tears come and singe her cheeks. "Why do you have to be damned like this? Why couldn't you just continue to live the rest of your life happy with us, spend more time with your brother who waited his whole life to see you again - just as you traveled across time to meet with him again?"

He smiled at her, touched by her words. "Your kind words reach my heart, Sakura -" His hand took hers and placed it over his chest, where she felt it beating, but slowly fading. At the same time, his skin started to crack, telling her and Sasuke that there wasn't much time left. "- just as yours opened for a second chance. Which you two must have when I am gone."

Sakura wasn't sure if she gasped, but she was sure she heard Sasuke do that, because he told them they would have to make each other happy again now that he was leaving. But she wasn't sure if...

"I sacrificed my whole life to keep you alive, Sasuke, and in return, I ended up here with this current you. I met you, Sakura, and your friends; this month which felt like forever has been more than words could explain to me. I don't want to leave it behind, but I have to, and that's all. But I want to leave this..."

He reached into his pocket, and that was when she finally saw it after a long time of absence: _the Uchiha ring. He had it all this time._ And he took Sasuke's hand to place it in, closing his brother's fingers over it. "Every man in our clan wore this, so now you have it to remember me and take to the grave," Itachi told him, swallowing and squeezing his eyes closed to hold back his tears which Sasuke was unable to do. Then the elder brother opened his again to look back at Sakura.

"I wish I could leave you something, but I doubt it will do any good. Sakura, I caused you pain because of your..." He looked away once again, unable to mention her mother. She put her hand on his cracking cheek and made him look at her.

"Don't...apologize, Itachi." It was far too difficult to talk now. "It was desperation, was it?" He nodded numbly.

"But it was inexcusable."

Sakura leaned up to gently lay her lips on his. "Stop talking about it when this is the last time. Itachi...I...love you," she said finally. It took forever to finally say the words she used to say to his brother beside them, who bore witness now, and it felt good but also horrible.

Sasuke thought he deserved his part, too, putting his weapon away - after putting the safety back on - and choked the words as well. Smiling brightly and painfully, Itachi extended both his arms and took them to be against him.

"And I, too, love you both. There is nothing more to say. But know that we'll see each other again someday. For now, be happy even if it will be difficult for awhile, and tell your friends I am sorry..."

He gave them each a last kiss: his brother to the brow, and his lover to the lips...before it ended with him crumbling to dust and bones on the concrete before them. There lay the fine clothing wrapped around a skeleton, the skull face itself draped with raven black hair and gazing up at them without a real expression while the spirit of the man himself smiled down as he ascended for the afterlife.

Police sirens sounded the air, but they were too lost in their grief to even notice them at first. Sakura mourned for the man she loved; Sasuke did the same for the brother he lost once again.

They turned to each other and embraced for comfort.

 **I really cried when I finally finished and then read this over. I'm sorry for those who wanted ItaSaku to the end, but from concept planning, this relationship was doomed from the start, thus getting me out of the box.**

 **Don't go away; next chapter is the epilogue. :'(**


	25. The Epilogue

**Watching the 2017 Beauty and the Beast added more tears and feels as I was writing this final chapter. Review when you're done, but I don't allow flames. :'(**

 **So, I was wiping my eyes the last time, and I did the same again here, for a variety of reasons. Because this story is finally complete, though it always is, and because we lost Itachi - but most of all Sasuke and Sakura, as well as their friends.**

 **Seven months - that's how long I spent on this, and it's longer than I did for any fic by my hand. But it was worth it. :) I also need to get back to Allure of Darkness in the near future, which will break this record.**

Chapter Twenty-Five

The Epilogue

He wasn't going to lecture Sasuke, because how could he based on what happened tonight? This great night which turned into one hell of a nightmare?

Sasuke and Sakura run off to find Itachi, and what kind of trouble would it have gotten them if no one knew WHY? His dad and his men arrived in time to find them all at the old man's apartment, and there were more than just a few complications: Danzo was in the same mentally paralyzed state as those street thugs apprehended last month, as was one of Dad's own - but he wasn't serious - and there was also a skeletal corpse surrounded by dust and wearing what _Itachi_ had for the gala.

Ibiki Morino couldn't even believe what he'd seen himself and asked the chief what they were going to tell the public, and this was something the public couldn't know about. There could mean a few cover-up stories which hadn't been easy to come up with, but here was what it was: the fingerprints found weren't a match in the database, that it was official that Danzo was going to jail for a long time in which he was the ringleader behind the stolen mummy from the Konoha Museum, hence the skeletal remains whose DNA wasn't a match - although it DID go with the unidentified fingerprints that were found.

That still didn't answer a question: why was it that way, and who would buy such a story if they knew the mummy was up and walking around like the movies and old stories?

"Sasuke, Sakura!" he called to them, getting out of his dad's police car, Hinata with him. They were sitting down at the foot of the ambulance that had to come by for the sake of it, and Danzo himself was loaded on a stretcher. He was strapped down even though he wasn't mobile enough. _Itachi did that to him. I guess it serves him right...but why didn't he kill him?_

He remembered Minato saying that revenge solved nothing, killing solved nothing - unless it was necessary - so if he was right, Itachi decided death for his enemy was too easy. He wanted closure...and here he was now, bones and dust on the ground. To look upon his short-lived friend - _and the mummy we've been around since we were kids_ \- made his heart crack a little, then get bigger, and Hinata held onto him, trying not to cry as she looked upon the skull face framed with long black hair and being marked around with white as part of the crime scene.

"My God," Minato said, shaking his head in dismay as he looked down at what his son and future daughter-in-law were seeing. "I only met that boy a few times, thought he was a decent human being enough."

"But he had everything taken from him," Hinata said quietly, eyes glistening, "and he got to experience his life for a short time, made everything count. I really adored him..."

But look at their friends, holding onto each other and with different kinds of depression: Sasuke's face had darkened because he'd lost the brother he barely knew, and Sakura because once again, she loved and then lost it again. _They're not going to be the same again - not even if we could help._

His dad noticed definitely and sighed, wrapping his arm around his son's shoulder. "What happens is up to them, but let them know you are still there, Naruto," he told him, smiling difficult as it was for all of them. "Going to take time, as usual." Then his face hardened when his attention fell to the pitiful old man on the stretcher.

"At least we're going to finally get somewhere with Danzo. We'll see what the hospital has to say on his condition after we search this place once more."

Little did they know the final facts were closer than they thought, because when the hospital did thorough examination on Danzo Shimura, they found what looked like an anomaly, but it was something they never expected: _a memory chip._

What was inside could be something that was seen in period drama films. Everything regarding the demise of the extinct Uchiha - including the one who had been the stolen mummy: Itachi Uchiha, who was able to kill his parents while the rest of his clan was butchered in the night by Danzo's ancestor's - a man of the same name - men...and Sasuke, the youngest, was the only one left alive, but had no idea of what really happened. Thus his elder brother was given the choice of dying, being condemned as a criminal and murderer - or he take the self-mummification process to reach divinity. But it never happened, for Itachi was murdered by suffocation at the hands of the man who destroyed his life as well as his clan's.

 _A thirteen-year-old child who eventually was smothered to death at age twenty-one._

This as well as the proof that he hired Kyou Ito to break into the museum and steal the mummy was enough to put him away for a long time, but it appeared his comatose state was impossible to get out of. He was old enough to be near death now that the truth was out.

When Tsunade and Orochimaru saw what was on the footage, both somberly lowered their heads so no one could see their expressions. Hinata turned into Naruto and cried into his shoulder; he held onto her, numb to his core.

Sasuke and Sakura didn't yet see it, but if they were ready, things would be worse than they already were. Because no matter if the truth was out, Itachi was still gone.

~o~

His brother was gone.

He was half a man, not thinking straight and only being lost in himself. He could only see the image of his brother's corpse falling into pieces. Leaving him once again, but also leaving Sakura - both as a choice and not.

It was a miracle Sasuke answered police questions, going along with the story that Itachi revealed that night he had a terminal cancer and decided it was best to leave them all to go traveling around the world. It was a decision he made on his own, his reasons personal, but he loved them all and regretted doing this to them. The idea had been Tsunade's; the woman was distressed, but didn't let the emotions out into the open. Orochimaru was just as somber as he supervised the remains, eventually finding that the DNA inside matched along with the fingerprints KPD found.

They wouldn't be able to completely link it back to Itachi, who was no longer among them.

Though Danzo, that old man, was going to be in the hospital until the plug was pulled. The evidence stacked against him was overwhelming, and Sasuke finally saw what was on that memory chip, because he deserved to know. What he saw made him remember the final moments of the past him. The one who couldn't live without the brother who gave everything up so that he could live. The one who thought he would reunite with Itachi - only to end up HERE. And now they were separated once again.

He could have stayed with Neji for the next few weeks, while confiding in Kurenai about his brother "leaving" which made him feel hollow once again. His therapist was really fighting to not cry, which made him consider letting it out - and when he did, she held onto him and kept reassuring him over and over again that at least he got to spend time with his brother while it lasted, that he knew he loved him, and that he wanted him to start his life over.

 _She's right: Itachi wanted me to persevere and be happy again. And he wants Sakura to do the same._

He wasn't going to let himself be what he used to be, and it ended with leaving Sakura the way he did. She was in this as much as he was. So he ended up asking her if he could just stay in her flat for a few days just to keep her company and nothing else. Somehow she agreed all too easily.

Sometimes it felt like it used to for them. When they were younger, she was trying to cook on her own, and sometimes she'd burn, ending in them laughing. It made him happy to know she'd gotten better, when he smelled the grilled vegetables, the fish and miso. Finished off with good old sake, since they both needed it - but it wasn't something to always rely on.

He found himself slouched before the television, watching anything but the news, and that was when he saw a showing of none other than _Genji Monogatari_ \- which they used to watch when they were younger, and he liked it solely for the fact it was based off a well-known literary piece, but Sakura loved the romance.

Now he found himself thinking about certain aspects which were indirectly tied to what recently happened. Sometimes he could have sworn he heard his brother speaking to him, in the words: _"You both have set me free. That's what love is."_

And love hurt more than anything in the world, which was also what he was seeing in this film. Subtle but effective all the same.

The story's realism was more than he could just handle, so he turned it off, and by this time Sakura was bringing him his share. Numbly, he accepted and mumbled his thanks.

"Sasuke." She halted because she had no idea what to say. Here they were now at the moment following the prince taking the maid Murasaki - a relative of the woman he wanted but couldn't have - to become as close as possible to the one of his desires.

Sasuke looked down at his plate and suddenly felt like he lost his appetite before it even began, but as soon as he picked the first piece of fish and brought it to his mouth, his hunger returned. He noticed Sakura do the same. She wanted to talk; they hadn't done much except greet each other at the end of each day, trying to make life go on as it was, but a few days wasn't enough. Therapy for his part wasn't enough either. She never needed any, having always functioned well, but he was considering offering for her to see Kurenai or someone. Because she was no better than he was.

"You have something to say," she said finally, looking at him. Her vibrant eyes were muddied like moss.

He nodded and put his tray on the table; she mimicked the action. "Sakura," he said, "thank you for everything, but I don't think it'll work like this."

She numbly nodded, too. "I agree."

"Maybe it's best that you should get help like I did," Sasuke went on, "and when my sessions are done, I head back to my services, and when they're up, I'm coming home for good. You keep doing what you do best. We both know Itachi was right, but we should do it because we want to."

 _I want to do this for my brother, but he should know that this isn't his decision at the end of the day._

It was also his choice; he did want to be with Sakura again, but she deserved a say in this, as well. He thought of a good, rational idea: they would try dating other people, and if it didn't work, it was them having a second chance.

If not, then they were better off.

~o~

When she saw her mother's remains the next day after that terrible night, she broke down because she felt nauseous at the sight of Mebuki like THAT - the same as the ones who really deserved it. Sakura knew she should feel repulsed, horrified by what she learned. How Itachi had been a living, breathing corpse, that he killed her mother and the others, yet she couldn't bring herself to feel hatred and disgust.

Itachi...Itachi was just like them once, long before then and only when his life was stolen before given a second chance, however short and disturbing it was, but still, he got to live like a normal person. He got to experience things that he never did before, and she had been the one to show it to him. Yes, he had been a monster, but didn't monsters also feel pain and suffering; didn't they have souls, too...?

This Sasuke understood when they talked that night in her apartment he stayed at for his coping mechanism, but she was glad he was still functioning and accepting help - which she was beginning to need herself.

Love really did its work on you: it made you whole until there was nothing left. Some things were just too good to be true. But he'd experienced that, not just her.

Everyone at the museum was somber, keeping it up as usual, but hollow was present. They'd loved Itachi, but only she, Sasuke, Naruto and Hinata, Minato as well as Tsunade and Orochimaru knew the truth and would take it to their graves. _At least Danzo won't haunt our steps anymore._

And at least they would look at it this way: Itachi had gone off to a better place than his last moments on earth, and better than having to live off others for himself. He _did_ say that they would meet again one day, which wasn't going to happen any time soon.

Sasuke said he was going back overseas, his orders received after Kurenai gave her report, so that meant Sakura had to do the same because that woman was trustworthy. She could have had another choice of therapist, and she made hers. She also made the choice to NOT date anyone for awhile. She was going to finish her internship and then carry on work, just like her friends.

Though she didn't count that Sasuke would suddenly end up dating someone after the next time he would come home. A redhead who was pretty but not beautiful, with matching eyes - she was Karin, Naruto's cousin on his late mother's side. But they weren't even close. So it begged what Sasuke saw in her. "Just what I was thinking," Naruto grumbled when they saw it from afar - and they also saw Sasuke didn't seem all that interested in his new girlfriend of a few months.

 _Then why would he be with her if he doesn't love her?_

Two years had gone by, and he was done with his term. She heard he was going to join the Konoha Police Department as a rookie in Naruto's father's unit. She, Naruto and Hinata were also done with the internship and would receive their licenses by the next year. They were so excited, and then there was one more thing to celebrate over.

Naruto and Hinata got married at the museum, the place which was close to heart. Complete with white roses in blue mercury vases, as well as creamy, beautiful lace-and-fringe tapestries and matching tablecloths - and a two-tiered cake printed with the Blue Willow scene and topped with a fresh white lotus plucked from the museum water pond. But the attention was on the happy couple who were wed by the local Shinto priest.

Hinata was so beautiful in that short and sweet lace dress with the sheer sleeves, full skirt and embroidered blue flowers, finally with the cutest icy blue heels set with dimensional blooms. Naruto might have dropped his mouth and drooled on sight if Sakura wasn't there to threaten him with a fist to his jaw if he showed such inappropriateness. His dad wasn't able to hold back his emotions, wiping his eyes with a tissue - and surprise, surprise, so was Hiashi.

Tsunade was leaning into Orochimaru, who had his arm around her waist, and keeping her close. _Maybe they'll spend the rest of their days as they are, but will they ever get married after all these years?_

Sakura was the maid of honor, Sasuke the best man - and it was then that they locked eyes when the new husband and wife shared their kiss. This was the first time they saw each other since his return home, because he'd been busy settling into his new life...and she could have sworn she saw a fresh new change in him. It couldn't have been whatever he was doing on the field, or even Karin, was it?

She tried not to flinch, and it wasn't because of the itching of the bold, tropical pink lace that Hinata said looked great on her. And the neck was a little too low for her chest, but no one said no to the bride.

At the reception, she and Sasuke finally talked.

"Karin and I are over. I was feeling sick about being involved with her. I thought we could work, because when we met, I though she understood me. She was one of the nurses overseas caring for our wounded."

In other words: Karin saw Sasuke outwardly instead of inwardly. She wanted him to be something else, something different. "I haven't been with anyone," Sakura confessed as they sat down at their seats, the choices free, with their champagne flutes. "I didn't feel like I was ready for a relationship. I was just enjoying life by myself."

Itachi was still a touchy subject, but the pain had lessened only a little. She still found herself wary around guys, though she waited for Sasuke to come home only to find him with another woman, and that was enough to make her decide she could quit this nonsense of waiting for someone when there was no forever.

Yet today he was telling her that his new relationship wasn't the one he thought it would be. _He's holding back, too._ "I don't know if I can handle being with someone," Sasuke admitted, "who didn't accept me the way I was. It was also because I was...thinking about someone else. And not to do with the promise of a certain someone, but a choice I'll make on my own...if you still want the shot again."

He had just outright told her that he had waited long enough, he kept his promises, and he wanted that second opportunity - and he wasn't going to hurt her again.

Herself? She was scared of being brokenhearted again, but she didn't want to spend the rest of her life alone either. Swallowing, she looked up at him and smiled, though it hurt because she was torn between joy again and uncertainty.

His hand coming out to take hers made her finalize the decision, as well as the desperation in his eyes. There was no more running, no more putting everything on hold - and no more promises that wouldn't be kept. _Thank you...Itachi,_ she prayed up to the man who brought happiness into their lives again, left because he was forced, and brought her and his brother together again.

Their second chance was on its way.

 _ **Genji Monogatari**_ **was a period drama from the early 50s that tells of a great love story but also tragedy.**

 **In terms of how to end this story, I had to think of a good compromise as to reconcile SasuSaku. My friend thought they shouldn't get back together after Itachi, because Sasuke LEFT Sakura the way he did, no matter if Sasuke realized his mistakes and wanted to make things right (though I agree with him). Thus they should find other people - and here was my final result to make us both happy as well as you guys.**

 **I'm supposed to be happy with how this story came out, but today something horrible happened. Due to my father having liver cancer, he was supposed to STOP drinking - but today I found him slipping wine behind our backs. Back to more depression all over again. I thought we were all done with this shit. (Sorry about my language, but I had to get it out). :'(**

 **Please keep in touch with my stories from now on, if you want to. For those who wanted ItaSaku, I may do a new one of them in the future that will end on a happier note.**


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